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.

History

The park was established by government decree on 25 May 2001, the same decree that created the Saimaluu-Tash nature park, and its zoning, carried out in 2010 and approved in 2013, set a strict protection zone of 2,472.8 hectares (Wikipedia, Salkyn-Tör Nature Park).

The landscape

• 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.

What to expect

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.

Key facts