Gorgan is the capital of Golestan Province. It lies the north east of Tehran. East of Gorgan is the Golestan National Park. The wide Dasht-e Gorgan (Plains of Gorgan) are located north of the city. In general, Golestan has a moderate and humid climate known as "the moderate Caspian climate". The effective factors behind such a climate are: Alborz mountain range, direction of the mountains, height of the area, neighborhood to the sea, vegetation surface, local winds, altitude and weather fronts. As a result of the above factors, three different climates exist in the region: plain moderate, mountainous, and semi-arid. Gorgan valley has a semi-arid climate.