Salkyn-Tor National Park

Salkyn-Tor means cool valley, and the park protects a gorge of Tien Shan spruce running north from Naryn town into the hills, which matters because central Kyrgyzstan is largely open steppe and forest of this kind is rare here. A track runs a few kilometres up the valley to picnic areas, and paths climb the slopes to viewpoints over the Naryn river and the town. It is a local park more than a tourist one: families come out at weekends, there are barbecue spots and a small zoo enclosure that is worth skipping. Deer and boar live in the upper forest. For travellers on the long road between Bishkek and the south it is a convenient leg-stretch and the only easy walk near Naryn.

What you actually see

• Tien Shan spruce - dark conifer forest, rare in this region.
• The gorge track - a few kilometres of valley road and picnic sites.
• Ridge viewpoints - paths up to views over Naryn and the river.
• Weekend picnics - local families using the park in season.

When to go

May to October for the walking; autumn colour in the birch along the river is good in late September. Snow closes the upper track in winter, though the lower valley stays accessible.

Honest expectations

This is a modest local park, not a wilderness area, and the walk is short. Litter at the picnic sites is a problem. The animal enclosures are poor and better avoided. Naryn itself has limited accommodation and food.

Nearby

Naryn town is west; Eki-Naryn gorge lies east.