Lagodekhi in May: a good time to visit?

Georgia 2024 part 4

With high mountains, great trails, ancient villages and a unique culture, Georgia is great for enjoying the outdoors. The country’s most popular hiking destinations are Svaneti, Kazbegi and Borjomi, but there’s more. I read good stories about Lagodekhi National Park, right at the border with Azerbaijan and Dagestan. Unfortunately I visited Georgia in May this time, not the best hiking season in the Caucasus Mountains, and I couldn’t find information online about hiking in Lagodekhi this time of year. I decided to try it anyway and share my experiences.

Getting to Lagodekhi

Every day multiple mini-buses called “marshrutkas’’ drive between Tbilisi and Lagodekhi (more on this below under “practical info’’). As is often the case in the Caucasus, the marshrutka I took wasn’t just moving people. A group of men placed an entire car bumper on the last row of seats. The other seats quickly filled up with other passengers, and we drove to Lagodekhi with high speed. After less than three hours we reached Lagodekhi town.

Over five thousand people live in Lagodekhi town. It’s a quiet place on the foot of a mountain range. In advance I wondered whether hotels and guesthouses were open off season, but I actually found an amazing guesthouse (“Home Inn-Guesthouse’’). It had a large garden to relax in and was run by a friendly older couple who made me amazing food every day. The homestay was just outside of the national park entrance. At the entrance was the national park office where hikers needed to register. I would go there the next morning to ask for advice, register and start hiking.

Where to hike in Lagodekhi in May

A park ranger asked me to fill in my details on a whiteboard outside of his office. He asked me about my hiking plans and gave me a briefing about the route I had in mind. I then asked him about all available hiking routes. The most popular trip I knew of is the multiday hike to Black Rock Lake. The park ranger told me, as I expected, that this trail is closed in May. The reason is that it goes right along the border with Dagestan, and only opens to visitors when the military sets up a post there. The military will usually go up in early summer and allow hikes to Black Rock Lake from mid-June, though the date depends on the weather. But there are three other trails in Lagodekhi National Park, and fortunately the park ranger told me they were open to hikers in May: the Black Grouse waterfall trail, the Ninoskhevi waterfall trail and the trail to Machi fortress.

The hikes

I started with the hike to the Black Grouse waterfall. It starts right from the national park entrance on the edge of Lagodekhi town. The trail went into the forest following a river, and eventually went up into the hills. May is the rainy period in Georgia, and not surprisingly it was raining during my hike. Despite the weather the trail was in a great condition. I did have to jump over some small streams and focus on narrow, slippery parts, so I wouldn’t recommend going here with small kids or without proper hiking shoes. After five kilometres I reached the waterfall. Being six meters tall it isn’t high compared to other waterfalls in Georgia, but it was powerful and therefore still impressive. I hiked another five kilometres back and had time for another trail.

In Lagodekhi locals told me that the Ninoskhevi waterfall trail is far more popular and beautiful than the Machi fortress trail. Both are further away from the town. My homestay owner drove me to the start of the Ninoskhevi waterfall trail. The route started as easy as the one in the morning, but this changed when I got to a wild river. To cross it I had to carefully walk across a fallen tree that served as a make-shift bridge. The next crossing was again a fallen tree, this time one with branches still on it, and I could see another crossing further ahead. It looked too risky to me, especially as I was hiking alone, and I started to think I might have taken a wrong turn as well. So I decided to stop and go back to the entrance. At the entrance I met two couples who both made it to the waterfall. They confirmed the dodgy crossing was part of the trail but that this was the hardest bit. All of them disliked the river crossings, one of them even said she panicked, but they said the waterfall was stunning. I wasn’t disappointed I missed out though. Before visiting I feared the national park might be closed to visitors in May, so I was happy I got to hike here anyway. On top of that I had a great diner at the homestay to look forward to.

The verdict

The Black Rock Lake trail, the most popular one in Lagodekhi National Park, is still closed to visitors in May. Travellers wanting to do this trek should visit in summer. The three other trails are accessible in May, but hiking to the most popular Ninoskhevi waterfall can be challenging for some people due to multiple river crossings. The other two hikes are both quite short, though I can recommend The Black Grouse trail. To my experience national parks like Svaneti and Borjomi are better hiking destinations in May compared to Lagodekhi. But when you want to leave the beaten path, escape the crowds, find a homestay, relax and enjoy nature, or when you’re visiting Eastern Georgia anyway, Lagodekhi is a great destination in this time of year.

Practical info on travelling here

Getting to Lagodekhi

There are multiple marshrutkas a day between Tbilisi and Lagodekhi. Marshrutkas leave from Tbilisi at Isani bus stop across the Isani metro station. The drive from Tbilisi to Lagodekhi took about three hours. I also managed to get a marshrutka from Lagodekhi to Telavi. Marshrutkas to Telavi are less frequent than the ones to Tbilisi, so ask around Lagodekhi for expected departures when you are heading this way.

Trails in Lagodekhi National Park

As mentioned above the trail to Black Rock Lake is closed to visitors in May, but hiking to the Black Grouse waterfall, the Ninoskhevi waterfall and the trail to Machi fortress is possible this time of year. All trails can be found on maps.me and Komoot, but consider that diversions are sometimes made due to floods and damaged paths. It’s wise to ask for the latest advice at the visitors centre where hikers need to register.

Travelling around Georgia

Read my blogpost a guide to visiting Georgia for more advice on travelling around Georgia.

CaucasusArjan MookOctober 6, 2024