Two mountain ridges meet at one spot, but there's a small gap between them. And it's always windy there. Over time, sand accumulated and formed a huge dune (about 200m at its peak). And it's still growing.

The dune itself gave the park its name: Altyn-Emel — the Golden Saddle. According to legend, Genghis Khan himself came up with the name during a nearby encampment.

This is the only place in the park where tourists are brought by the busload. Although compared to US or European parks, the local crowds are pretty minimal. The park receives only about 15,000 (yes, 15 thousand) tourists per year.