The Natural Park is located in western Romania in the central-northern side of the Apuseni Mountains, comprising part of the Bihor Mountains to the south and Vlădeasa Mountains [ro] to the north. It is situated on the administrative territory of 16 communes, which include 53 localities fully and 8 others partially. The Park features 3 resorts: Boga, Fântânele, and Vârtop.[3]
Natural reserves
The Apuseni Natural Park with an area of 75,784 ha (187,270 acres)[4] was declared natural protected area by the Law Number 5 of March 6, 2000 (published in the Monitorul Oficial of Romania, Number 152 of April 12, 2000)[5] and represents a mountainous area (mountain peaks, cirques, caves, valleys, karst areas, forests, and pastures), with flora and fauna specific to the Western Carpathians.
In the northern part of the park, there is the Beliș-Fântânele Lake [ro], a reservoir in the Gilău Mountains, built between 1970 and 1974. Located at an altitude of 1,050 m (3,440 ft), the reservoir covers an area of 826 ha (2,040 acres) and has a volume of 225–250 million cubic metres (0.054–0.060 cu mi) of water. It was formed after the damming of the Someșul Cald downstream of its confluence with the Beliș stream; the dam has a height of 92 m (302 ft) and a length of 410 m (1,350 ft). From the reservoir, the water is diverted through a 8.475 km (5.266 mi) tunnel to the turbines of the Mărișelu Hydroelectric Power Station.[8][9]
![The Ponor Glade, the only example of polje in the Padiș Plateau [ro]](File:Ponor_Glade.JPG)
