Charyn Canyon, Natural canyon in Almaty Region, Kazakhstan

Charyn is a canyon in Almaty Region that runs 154 km along the Charyn River, 195 km east of Almaty. Its cliffs of sedimentary rock, about 12 million years old, reach 150 to 300 m high. The Red Canyon, a dry gorge about 3 km long, 20 to 130 m wide and up to 100 m deep, holds the Valley of Castles, roughly 2 km long and 20 to 80 m wide.

The Charyn River began cutting through the rock layers about 12 million years ago and shaped the present gorge. Erosion by wind and water continues and slowly changes the shapes of the sandstone towers.

Scattered ash groves grow in the lower sections between the rock walls, forming a narrow green ribbon along the watercourse. Visitors often walk among these trees as they follow the trails that wind through the gorge.

The drive from central Almaty takes about four hours along paved roads to the entrance. Walking trails lead from the upper rim down to the riverbed, where shaded spots between the rocks offer places to rest.

The canyon's cliffs have yielded fossils of mastodons, elephants, rhinoceroses and Stenon horses, eroded from the rock faces. In the Uzynbulak tract, traces of early human camps and tools have also been found.