Moon Canyon Uzunbulak

From the Valley of Castles, backtrack briefly and cross the Charyn River bridge onto an unpaved gravel track that runs south-southwest along the river for roughly 10 km to Uzunbulak canyon — known in tourist literature as <span lang="ru">Лунный каньон</span> (Moon Canyon) or <span lang="ru">Жёлтый каньон</span> (Yellow Canyon). These three names refer to a single feature: a canyon roughly 3 km long cut into pale clay and compressed silt, with walls that read grey-white at midday and warm amber in late afternoon. The colour and scale are noticeably different from the red sandstone Valley of Castles you visited this morning.

There are no established trails or facilities. Walk the canyon floor at your own pace — the terrain is flat and easy underfoot except after rain, when the clay becomes slick. The canyon sits within Charyn National Park; no additional fee is charged beyond the park entrance ticket.

A roughly 10 km off-road spur from the Valley of Castles to Uzunbulak, where the red sandstone gives way to pale ochre-cream clay eroded into soft, lunar folds. The track is rough enough to strand a sedan, then you return to the Charyn area to overnight.