Photo: Glagoli · Public domainBulgaria · Rila · Southwestern Bulgaria
Okoto (Rila)
Glacial · natural
~4.5 kmaway
2,440 metreselevation
Karagyol is a small mountain reservoir in north-western Rila, part of the Rila hydropower cascade in the high ground around the Kalin dam.
How it formed
Built in 1949–1953, its concrete gravity dam is 19.5 m high and 186 m long, and it sits a little below the Kalin dam. It takes water from its own catchment, from the two reservoirs above and from the lower basin of the Kalin plant, and sends it through a tunnel of about 1.8 km to that plant, the first pumped-storage station in Bulgaria. It has also supplied water to Dupnitsa since the early 21st century.
Visit
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
The road up towards the Kalin dam starts near Pastra. It is narrow and broken, and privately maintained, so access is not guaranteed, and a 4x4 is the safer choice. Walkers can come from the Ivan Vazov hut, and a hard loop of about 14 km from the Kalin dam takes in Big Kalin peak and the hut. This is high mountain, so check the weather for cold and ice.
Nearby lakes
Show on map
Know Karagyol Reservoir well?
Suggest a beach, viewpoint, trail or amenity, or tell us if something has changed. We read every message.
Sources & data
- Bulgaria's 2022 Water Framework Directive reporting to the EEA: lake (LW) and transitional (TW) water bodies, field cArea, European Environment Agency (WISE WFD), reported by Bulgaria, 2022
- OpenStreetMap: яз. Карагьол (way 439600112), OpenStreetMap contributors
- Bulgarian Wikipedia: Каскада „Рила“, Wikimedia Foundation
- Little Kalin Peak, Komoot
- Kalin cycling, Passzwang