Flaming Cliffs (Bayanzag)
Баянзаг
Red sandstone cliffs in the Gobi where American explorers found the world's first dinosaur eggs in the 1920s. At sunset the cliff walls glow like burning flames.
Bayanzag lies about 100 km northwest of Dalanzadgad. The orange-red sandstone of its cliffs seems to burn in the setting sun, which led the American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews to name it the “Flaming Cliffs.” From 1922 to 1925, his Central Asiatic Expeditions found the first dinosaur eggs confirmed by science here, along with fossils of Protoceratops and Velociraptor. These discoveries made the site world-famous. The famous “fighting dinosaurs” fossils (Velociraptor and Protoceratops) also came from the southern Gobi. Simple trails run along the cliff top and gullies, where you can see wind-eroded isolated peaks and ravines. Saxaul forest (Saxaul forest) grows nearby. The site charges a small entrance fee, and herders sell souvenirs at the base of the cliffs. A visit takes about 1.5–2 hours, and it is best to arrive in the evening to watch the sunset. Note: the cliff edges are crumbly, so stay away from them. Taking any fossils is prohibited, and violators will be heavily fined.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Bayanzag Saxaul Forest
- Moltsog Els
- Khavtsgait Petroglyphs
- Dungenee Am
- Yolyn Am
- South Gobi Aimag Museum
- Dalanzadgad
- Ongi Monastery