The Charyn Canyon
A 154 km long Charyn Canyon is located almost 200 km east of Almaty. The most picturesque tourist section of the canyon is the Castle Valley (2 km long and 20-80 m wide). Traditional one way hike through the Valley takes no more than one and a half hours and ends at the mountain Charyn River.
The whole territory of the canyon is part of the Charyn State National Natural Park – a favorite vacation spot of people of Kazakhstan and guests of the Republic. The park area exceeds 93 thousand hectares.
The upright walls of the Charyn canyon are 140 to 300 meters high. According to scientists, the age of these hill sides is more than 12 million years. Charyn is often compared to the famous Grand Canyon in Colorado (USA), to which Kazakhstan’s miraculous natural sanctuary not made by hands is only inferior in size but not in beauty. Over millions of years, fairly strong winds have been blowing out the sediments, of which the canyon is composed, creating a unique and enchanting landscape.
There is a relic Ash Tree Grove not far from the canyon, which is also part of the Natural Park and where Sogdian Ash trees grow, listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. Charyn also has other relics that have only survived in this territory. Scientists estimate that more than 30 species of plants, birds and animals that live in this reserved area are classified as endangered. Moreover, there are more than 60 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, 20 species of amphibians and 800 species of arthropods documented here.
