Gorny Altai is a unique natural complex with its recreational richness. It is a wonderful combination of picturesque mountain landscapes with different climate types determined by sunshine and heightened ultraviolet radiation. The Altai Republic's territory has beautiful forests and medicinal herbs, mineral resources and salubrious air. Almost all groups of recreational resources take place in Altai: medicinal, aesthetic, rest, sport and others.

The Altai Republic's territory is in the whole a historical and landscape preserve which have no analogues. At the present moment the specially protected territories and natural complexes with an area of almost 22% of the whole Republic's territory are distinguished in the Altai Republic.
The specially protected territories are presented by two preserves (The Altai and The Katun Preserves), by five reserves (The Tcherginsky, Sumultinsky, Kosh-Agachsky, Turochaksky, Shavlinsky), the Zone of Peace "Ukok" and The Natural Park "Belukha".
126 memorials of nature including 44 of the Republican significance belong to specially protected territories and natural objects.
Lakes: Teletskoye, Manzherokskoye, Tenginskoye, Akkemskoye, Kucherlinskoye, Taimenskoye, Sadrinskoye, Karakolskiye, Multinskiye, Tuyukskiye.
Water springs: Arzhan Suu, Tcheremshansky, Tchelushmansky, Tchagan-Uzunsky, Buguzinsky, Kadrinsky, Kurlovskiye Dachi, Sviatoi Kluch, Kara Kebek, Bolshoi Yalomansky, Jumalinsky, Manzheroksky.
Waterfalls: Korbu, Tekelu, Kamyshinsky.
Caves: Muzeinaya, Kek-Tash, Kuldinskaya, Tut-Tash, Taldinskaya Karst Arch, Tarcolskaya, Karakokshinskaya.
Mountains: Belukha, Ikonostas (Iconostasis), Byely Kamen (White Stone).
Passes: Tchike-Taman, Seminsky.
Landscape territories: Ust-Seminsky, Shishkular-Katail, Tchisty Lug (Clean Meadow), Komsomolskaya Mountain, Tchelushmansky, Maiminsky Crumby Bank, Ulalinsky Crumby Bank.
All the specially protected territories and natural complexes are under the authority and control of the Altai Republic State Committee of Nature.
The Altai Preserve - o­ne of the largest preserves in Russia - occupies almost the whole eastern part of the Altai Republic.
A vegetation cover of Gorny Altai has a very strong resources potential requiring a proper protection from over-use. The Government of the Altai Republic approved a Decree o­n Licensing of the Most Valuable Medical Herbs Purveyance. The Red Book of the Altai Republic was published, where plants species needing protection were indicated. As the number of heads of public herd decreases, natural motley grass of Alpine meadows recovers.
An invaluable role in restoration and preservation of natural complexes is carried out by the specially protected territories. The project "Altai - Golden Mountains" is included to the list of Universal Heritage under the aegis of UNESCO for inclusion of the number of natural objects of the Altai Republic (The Teletskoye Lake, Belukha Mountain).
The whole ecological policy of the Altai Republic is aimed at preservation of nature of Gorny Altai with its unique landscape diversity and natural objects of universal significance.
One of the most important directions in provision of ecological safety of the territory is working-out and adoption of the proper legislative statements. Since 1992 the State Committee o­n Ecology prepared and the State Assembly - El Kurultai and the Government of the Altai Republic adopted the following legislative and normative documents:
- Law of the Altai Republic "On Animal Kingdom";
- Law of the Altai Republic "On Entrails and Use of Entrails";
- Law of the Altai Republic "On the Specially Protected Natural Territories and Objects of the Altai Republic";
- Law of the Altai Republic "On Tourism";
- Edict of Presidium of the State Assembly - El Kurultai "On Administrative Responsibility for Violation of Regime of Water Protection Zones and Riverside Strips",
as well as over 30 decrees of the Government of AR, regulating nature protecting activity.

The value of recreational resources of the Altai Republic is determined in the first place by natural and climatic conditions of the present territory. A great amount of sun rays during a year, low concentration of powdered compounds in atmosphere of valleys, the presence of a wide spectrum of mountain-climatic zones distinguish the territory of the Republic as o­ne of the potential recreational centers of the Russian Federation. Forest-steppe and forest lowlands and midlands of Northern, North-Eastern and North-Western Altai possess opportunities of public rest and tourism organization, o­n condition of the proper infrastructure creation. The presence of radon waters and mud springs combined with mild climate determine the development of facilities in sanatoria and health resorts.
The territory of Central and South-Eastern Altai is of high recreational value. Here a seasonal organization of water rafting, tourist hikes and alpinist ascents are possible. The rivers of Gorny Altai are of great interest because of their technical characteristics for sportsmen and water-tourists.
At the same time, rivers flowing through picturesque landscapes let people observe the change of climatic zones. And fish inhabiting their impetuous waters make unforgettable any water journey. Very often o­ne may come across waterfalls, which attract tourists by their beauty. At the same time rivers are considered unfavorable for swimming because of low water temperature. o­nly water of individual lakes (the Aya, the Manzherok, the Kureevo) and small rivers (the Isha, the Lebed) get warmed up to the temperatures favorable for popular swimming. The length of the swimming season at these lakes and rivers is about two months. The major part of the year rivers are covered with ice, which thickness varies within 0.5 m - 3 m.
The bedding period and height of snow cover is of great importance for mountain skiing development. The stable snow cover at the altitudes over 2000 m is set in already in September. The duration of snow bedding varies from 100 to 300 days a year, depending o­n the slope's height and orientation.
Glaciers evoke a great sporting interest among tourists and mountaineers. Altai takes the third place among mountain lands of the world according to the number of glaciers (1330) and area covered with ice. 169 glaciers are concentrated near Belukha Mountain (4506 m).
The quantity and quality of recreational resources situated o­n the territory of Gorny Altai let perform the further development of tourism in the region.