Banks' Pine Grove Sanctuary

Banks' Pine Grove Sanctuary (argelavayr, small protected reserve) protects a planted grove of Banks' pine on the northern slopes above Tsaghkadzor, in Kotayk region. It isn't a wild forest fragment — the trees were planted, and the reserve exists specifically to keep that plantation intact.

Four hectares. That's it. The grove sits between 1,800 and 2,000 meters, on the right bank of the Marmarik river, in the western part of Tsaghkadzor town. It was set aside in 1959, and its whole purpose since then has been narrow and specific: preserve this one stand of trees, nothing more.

There's no visitor infrastructure described here, and no reason to build a day around it. If you're already in Tsaghkadzor and curious about what grows on the slopes around town, it's a short, easy stop — a small, deliberate patch of forest with a clear origin story rather than a scenic destination in its own right.

The sanctuary lies in Kotayk region, on the western edge of Tsaghkadzor town, roughly 43 km north-northeast of Yerevan as the crow flies. Access on the ground is best checked locally.

At 1,800–2,000 meters, expect winter snow to make the site harder to reach; late spring through autumn is the more practical stretch for visiting on foot.