Chon-Kemin Natural Park
The Chon-Kemin natural park is located around 150 km (93 miles) East of Bishkek. It stretches over 500 ha (1,234 acres) and has an altitude between 1,400 m (4,593 ft) and 2,800 m (9,186 ft).
The park has one of the most picturesque landscapes in Kyrgyzstan with its vast river, its lakes, its glaciers, and its immense forest. It’s a delight both for nature lovers in search of a calm holiday, and for extreme sports enthusiasts who can go trekking or rafting.
Back in History
In 1911, the strongest earthquake in Central Asia was recorded in Kemin. The strength of the tremors at the epicenter reached a magnitude of 11 on the Richter scale. This contributed to creating the beautiful landscape you can admire today.
The park was founded in 1997, bringing together most of the forest farms in the Kemin district. Since then, the park has been under the protection of the Kyrgyz State.
This valley was the place of birth of the first Kyrgyz president, Askar Akayev.
Most villagers live from agriculture and herding. You can discover a huge monument to potato pickers in the center of the valley, with an inscription that reads “We will work to feed our mothers”.
Discovering the Chon-Kemin Valley
The Chon-Kemin Valley is a wild and natural area perfect for nature lovers and hikes.
This large natural reserve of 500 hectares, unique in the country, unfolds with beautiful reliefs and a river.
The ecosystem is unique and is home to many species of animals and plants. In particular, there are rare endemic animals such as snow leopards, maral (the smallest of cervids in Central Asia), or golden eagles. The flora is just as spectacular, with a wide variety of plants, herbs, berries and mushrooms to discover.
The Park is also interesting for sportsmen, with many activities such as hiking, fishing or horseback riding in the forest and valley. For the more adventurous, it is now possible to go rafting and get your dose of adrenaline.
The Park is full of trails that will lead you through the spruce forest to gorges or to one of the seven lakes. Passages at more than 2,500 meters (8,202 ft) offer a breathtaking panoramic view on the whole region.
You can see the heights of the Ala - Too mountain massif culminating 4,700 meters (15,420 ft) and its eternal snow. You can visit the park any time of the year. It is always marvelous, with hundreds of blooming flowers in the spring, perfect hiking weather in the summer, shades of reds in the autumn and immaculate white snow in the winter.
