How much does it cost to pitch a tent at Yedigöller in 2026?

Under DKMP's 2026 tariff, in Bolu's Category I protected areas, which include Yedigöller, a tent pitch for 2-4 people costs 450 TL a day, for 5-6 people 675 TL and for 7-8 people 900 TL. If you arrive by car, there is a separate entry fee of 225 TL per car. The Regional Directorate may also set a shared-use fee for water, showers and cleaning.

Can you go to Yedigöller by caravan?

Staying in a caravan inside the park is banned. Under the Bolu Governorship order reported by DHA in March 2025, visitors arriving by caravan are not admitted even for a day visit. If you are coming to the area by caravan, plan your overnight stay outside the park.

How cold do summer nights get at Yedigöller?

At MGM's Bolu station the average night-time low in July and August is 12.5-12.7 °C, but the lowest recorded values are 2.8 °C in July and 1.4 °C in August. As the lakeshore is usually damper and cooler, we recommend a sleeping bag with a comfort rating of +5 °C even for summer camping.

Can you cook at the Yedigöller camping area?

Under the Bolu Governorship's 2025 general order, open-fire picnics, barbecues, samovars and picnic gas stoves may be used only in the permitted areas on the Mengen side of the park; in summer, wildfire-season decisions may add further bans. Ask in advance whether you can use a stove, and prepare a meal plan that needs no fire as well.

What sleeping bag do you need for camping at Yedigöller?

We recommend a bag with a comfort rating of +5 °C for July and August, 0 °C or lower for May and September, and around -5 °C for October. Choose your bag by its comfort rating rather than its limit rating, and use an insulated mat against the cold from the ground.

How do you plan a day at Yedigöller and a night in a bungalow instead of camping?

You spend the day in the park like a camper (flask, cold picnic, walks between the lakes), leave before dark and spend the night in a bungalow in Mengen. Nesilce is about 48 km from the park and breakfast is included in your stay. In July and August you can also split your trip into one night in a tent and one in a bungalow.

Camping or a Bungalow at Yedigöller? 2026 Rules an

You can pitch a tent at Yedigöller, but caravan stays are banned and even summer nights can drop to a few degrees. Camping, a bungalow, or a mix of both?

Camping or a bungalow at Yedigöller? The short answer

Camping is a great experience for well-equipped adults with flexible plans who come in July or August. A bungalow is the safer choice for anyone without gear, for families with young children and for visitors in the shoulder seasons. Tent camping is officially allowed in Yedigöller National Park (the "Seven Lakes"), but staying overnight in a caravan is banned, and nights can be colder than expected even in summer.

Below you will find the official rules and 2026 fees first, then night-time temperatures month by month and the risks that make camping harder, and finally a hybrid plan that combines the two.

Can you camp at Yedigöller? The official position in 2026

The Yedigöller National Park page of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 9th Regional Directorate is clear: visitors can stay in bungalows owned by the General Directorate, and they can also stay in tents. The page lists camping among the park's recreational uses, alongside picnics, nature walks, recreational angling and photography.

But "camping is allowed" does not mean "you can pitch a tent anywhere":

Tents may only be pitched in the designated camping area. Setting up on a lakeshore spot of your own choosing is not allowed. For the rules on rubbish, noise and vehicles see our guide to Yedigöller visitor rules.
Staying in a caravan is banned. According to DHA's report of 11 March 2025, a general order issued by the Bolu Governorship on the management of protected areas banned caravan stays inside the national park; visitors arriving by caravan are not admitted even for a day visit.
Fires and stoves are restricted. Under the same order, open-fire picnics, barbecues, samovars and picnic gas stoves may not be used outside the permitted areas on the Mengen side of the park. In summer the Governorship's wildfire-season decisions can add further bans; the details of the 2026 decision are in our guide to a cool summer break in Bolu.
The park has wildlife. According to the Regional Directorate, red deer, roe deer, bears, wild boar, wolves, foxes and squirrels live in and around the park. That has a direct bearing on how you handle food at camp (see below).

To find out whether the camping area is open on your dates, whether you need to book and how busy it is, there is one number to call: National Parks Bolu Branch Directorate, 0374 215 52 81.

How much does camping at Yedigöller cost in 2026?

The General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) sets protected-area fees every year by category and region. In the 2026 Protected Areas Fee Tariff, Yedigöller National Park is one of Bolu's Category I protected areas. The official figures for this category, approved on 19 February 2026:

Item (2026, Bolu Category I)	Fee
Tent pitch, 2-4 people (per day)	450 TL
Tent pitch, 5-6 people (per day)	675 TL (the 4-person fee plus 50%)
Tent pitch, 7-8 people (per day)	900 TL (twice the 4-person fee)
Car / pick-up entry (occupants included)	225 TL
Entry on foot (per person)	75 TL
Caravan stays	Banned at Yedigöller (Governorship general order)

Source: DKMP 2026 tariff (Annexes 2, 3 and 4) and its implementing rules.

Details in the tariff's implementing rules that matter to campers:

A shared-use fee may be added. For water, cleaning, showers and waste, the Regional Directorate may set a shared-use fee that does not exceed the tent-pitch fee.
Where a site is run by a concessionaire, the tariff is a ceiling; the operator may charge less.
Low season: at campsites run by the administration itself, tent fees are 50% off outside 1 June-31 October.
Students: high school and university students get 30% off the tent pitch with ID (parents are not eligible); the student discount on entry on foot is 50%.
Children and over-65s: children under 7 and visitors over 65 entering on foot pay nothing.
Check-out time: if you leave after 12:00 the next day, you are charged for that day as well.
Entry fees are charged once per calendar day; keep your receipt if you leave and come back the same day.
In the peak season, stays may be limited to 15 nights.

Worked example: two people, one car and a 4-person tent for one night: tent pitch 450 TL + car entry 225 TL = from 675 TL. Ask at the gate whether there is a shared-use fee and whether the entry fee is charged again the next day. Gear, fuel and food are not included in this figure.

How cold are the nights? The camping season month by month

The real test of camping is the night. MGM's records for the Bolu station (1929-2025) give each month's lowest recorded temperature as well as the average. For campers, the second figure is the one that matters:

Month	Avg. night-time low	Lowest recorded	Days with rain	Suggested sleeping bag (comfort rating)
May	7.6 °C	-2.3 °C	14.00	0 °C or lower
June	10.5 °C	0.0 °C	11.74	Below +5 °C
July	12.5 °C	2.8 °C	6.15	+5 °C
August	12.7 °C	1.4 °C	5.11	+5 °C
September	9.5 °C	-2.5 °C	7.21	0 °C or lower
October	6.2 °C	-5.8 °C	10.65	-5 °C; not recommended for inexperienced campers

Temperatures and days with rain: MGM, Bolu (centre) station. The sleeping bag suggestion is our own practical advice.

Three notes:

These figures are for Bolu city centre. MGM does not publish separate long-term averages for Yedigöller. The lakeshore and forest are usually damper and cooler; the reasons are explained in our Mengen and Yedigöller weather guide.
Choose your sleeping bag by its "comfort" rating. The "limit" rating on the label describes a night spent curled up that you can only just put up with.
Cold from the ground matters as much as cold from the air. Alongside a good sleeping bag you need an insulated mat (sleeping pad).

In short, outside July and August a Yedigöller camping trip calls for something close to winter gear. If you are thinking of coming for the autumn colours and sleeping in a tent, factor in October's record low of -5.8 °C.

What are the five risks that make camping harder?

Rain. May and June average 12-14 days with rain a month. Your tent's rain fly must cover it fully, and the groundsheet must not stick out beyond the tent; if it does, it channels rainwater underneath you.
Damp and condensation. Moisture from the lakes and forest collects as water on the inside of the tent by morning. Do not close the vents, and keep your sleeping bag off the tent walls.
Storms and trees. Do not pitch under trees with dead branches; if thunder starts, move away from the open lakeshore.
Wildlife and food. In a park where bears also live, do not keep food in your tent; store it in sealed containers in the car. Do not leave scraps behind; this is both a rule and a safety issue.
Ticks. The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) information note from the Ministry of Health's General Directorate of Public Health lists "people camping and picnicking without protection" as a risk group. In the forest wear light-coloured clothing that covers your body, tuck your trouser legs into your socks and spread a light-coloured sheet where you sit. If a tick attaches, remove it without touching it with bare hands, using gloves, a cloth or a plastic bag; if you cannot, go to a health centre, and watch for symptoms such as weakness and fever for the next 10 days.

Camping gear list for Yedigöller

Category	Essential	Nice to have
Sleeping	A sleeping bag suited to the season (see the table above), an insulated mat	Inflatable pillow, thin sleeping bag liner
Shelter	Tent with a full rain fly, pegs, guy lines	Footprint under the tent, small tarp
Clothing	Fleece and windproof jacket, rain jacket, spare dry socks, beanie	Thermal base layer (May, September, October)
Light and power	Head torch, spare batteries, power bank	Tent lantern
Food	Food that needs no fire, flask, enough water	Camping stove (only in permitted areas and periods)
Health	First-aid kit, personal medication, tweezers or tick remover, insect repellent	Sunscreen, lip balm
Organisation	Rubbish bags, sealed food boxes	Folding chair, wet wipes

Before you go, ask whether the camping area has electricity, hot water and showers. Preparing as if it does not is the safest approach.

Camping or a bungalow? A side-by-side comparison

Topic	Tent at Yedigöller	Bungalow in Mengen (Nesilce)
The night	Depends on your bag and mat; even July has seen 2.8 °C	A solid building, a real bed
A rainy day	Wait it out in the tent or the car	Wait it out in your room or on the terrace
Bathroom	Ask in advance about toilets and showers at the camping area	Private bathroom in every unit
Breakfast	You make it yourself, subject to the stove rules	Turkish village breakfast included
Access to the park	You are already inside; sunrise by the lake	The park is about 48 km away; an early start is needed
Preparation	Gear, loading, pitching and packing up	A bag is enough; check-in 14:00, check-out 12:00
Larger groups	Each tent is charged separately	A duplex bungalow sleeps 4-6
Pets	Subject to park rules	Welcome with prior notice
Cost items	Tent pitch + entry + gear + food	Room rate (breakfast included); ask the resort for current prices

A hybrid plan: the park by day, a bungalow by night

If you want the feel of camping without the cold night, you can combine the two. First, look at what you keep from camping and what you leave behind:

What you keep from camping	What you leave behind
A flask, a cold picnic, a long lunch break by the lake	A cold night on the ground
Spending the whole day in the park	Pitching and packing the tent, damp gear
Walks between the lakes, the Kapankaya viewing terrace, the path to the Karaçam Anıt Ağacı (a monumental black pine)	Queueing for a shared bathroom
Quiet hours in nature	Worrying about stove and fire rules

Format 1: the day camper. Leave Mengen after breakfast and allow an hour for the roughly 48 km forest road to the park. Spend the day like a camper: flask, cold lunch, picnic blanket, binoculars. Leave the park before dark and spend the night in a bungalow. This is the most sensible format in autumn and spring.

Format 2: the split plan (July-August). Spend one night in a tent and catch the sunrise by the lake, then rest on the second night in a bungalow in Mengen. Or do it the other way round: shake off the drive on the first night in a bungalow, enter the park early the next morning and settle into the camping area in the late afternoon. Either way, the tent pitch and park entry are paid separately.

If you would like to compare the areas to stay around the park one by one, see our guide to where to stay near Yedigöller.

Who should choose camping, and who a bungalow?

Camping: adults with their own gear who come in July or August and can change plans in the rain, and photographers who want to shoot the sunrise by the lake.
Bungalow: first-time visitors, families with young children, anyone coming in May-June or September-October, and those who want a hot shower after the drive. Visitors arriving by caravan also have to make plans outside the park, as they cannot stay inside it.
Hybrid: families who want to introduce their children to camping, and anyone who wants to try one night in a tent and spend the second night in comfort.

Seven questions to ask before you go

When you call the National Parks Bolu Branch Directorate (0374 215 52 81), work through this list:

Is the camping area open on your dates, and do you need to book?
How much is the tent pitch, and is there a shared-use fee?
Is the car entry fee charged again the next day for overnight campers?
Are there toilets, showers, hot water and electricity?
Can you use a camping stove, and if so where and when?
Are there time limits for the entrance gate and the camping area?
What are the road and weather conditions?

If you would rather stay in a bungalow

Nesilce Tatil Köyü is in Mengen, about 48 km from the park. It has 10 standard bungalows (2-3 guests), 8 duplex bungalows (4-6 guests, with a living room and large terrace) and 7 standard hotel rooms (2 guests). Every option includes a Turkish village breakfast, free parking and Wi-Fi; pets are welcome with prior notice. See our bungalows in Bolu page for the room types, contact us by phone or WhatsApp via our contact page to check availability, or use our official Airbnb and Hotels.com listings.

Sources

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 9th Regional Directorate — Yedigöller National Park
DKMP — 2026 Protected Areas Fee Tariff and implementing rules
DHA — Caravan stays banned in Yedigöller National Park (11 March 2025)
MGM — Official climate statistics for Bolu (1929-2025)
Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health — Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever information note

If you would like to combine your camping plans with a bungalow stay, call us on +90 507 922 11 18 to check availability for your dates.

Camping or a Bungalow at Yedigöller? 2026 Rules and Fees