Masfout Canyon is so close to popular tourist destination – Hatta, that it is often missed. It’s rare to find a place like this, so powerful and serene, yet so easy to access, where you can look up huge mountain canyon cradled by rough Hajar Mountains. The canyon is only a 90-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of city of Ajman and it’s well worth the drive through fertile agricultural settlements to see one of the greatest natural wonders of United Arab Emirates. If you like the idea of camping, hiking or off-roading by the rugged mountains landscape, Masfout Canyon is one to add to the top of your list.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MASFOUT
Forced by recent circumstances and not being allowed to camp just anywhere, like before, I set off for a day trip to discover new outdoor gems in the places I always seemed to get round, mistakenly thinking there is nothing worth to stop by. One of them was Ajman enclave – Masfout.
The region of Masfout has a vibe of a province – calm, peaceful town (or a village) where the time passes much slower than in the city. Elevated altitude of mountain surrounding and cooler temperature makes it a perfect location for walking, trekking or hiking, mountain biking, picnics, camping and off-roading.
A WAY TO MASFOOT CANYON
To reach Masfout Canyon, ideally you will start your journey at the foothills of the mountains, here: 24.809993, 56.056645. Following the road through the breathtaking scenery, and watch as the last signs of civilization disappear in your rear mirror. At this point: 24.798181, 56.058643 you will drive through the bridge going over Masfout Canyon. Now, you have a choice to go right or left.
THE DANGER OF RAINY WEATHER
Taking the right turn you will drive along Masfout Canyon and eventually reach the dead end, where the road collapsed due to the water flow coming down from the mountains during the rainfalls. It could be a little, cozy camping location (24.795483, 56.061789), especially if you decide to settle at the end of the road. Be careful though, always check the weather before you go out for a road trip to Masfout Canyon or any other place in the mountains or with a wadi nearby.
If it happens to rain during your stay there, you will not only get trapped with no way to come back (as the bridge is situated deep in the valley, it will be fully covered with water) but also you may be in danger of being swept away together with water flowing from the mountains down towards the town. I did see a wreck of the car at the bottom of the Masfout Canyon.
Turning left after the bridge, dirt mountain road will allow you to find many more camping locations, or simply just drive through and explore the area more. Although the road could be accessible with sedan car, to be on the safe side venture on this route with 4×4 car.
As dangerous during the rainfall as it sounds – it is, however during sunny weather it is an amazing place to get away and relax in the bosom of nature in the Masfout Canyon. But as always, you need to plan your trip with common sense.
REMEMBER:
- Do not leave any garbage behind, including food. Even organic waste can take months to biodegrade and meanwhile it will attract animals. It may not only make them stop eating their natural food and rely on what humans leave behind but also it may make them sick.
- Have always a bag ready to collect trash left behind by other inconsiderate people – at the end you are saving the nature.
- Hike or camp over gravel and rocks. In some areas the vegetation can take years to grow back.
- Leave natural and historical items where you find them.
- Minimize cooking over campfire, use the stove instead – it is less impact on the wilderness.
UAE OFF-ROADER GUIDE
If you are looking for more off-road trails to discover around United Arab Emirates, I can recommend this ultimate guide that is packed with many routes, giving very detailed information and answering all questions you could have about off-roading in the UAE.
You can get it from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UrKZdo
I hope you found this article about Mafout Canyon helpful and it gave you an idea where to head to next weekend. If you would like to visit other nature wonders in the mountains, I recommend you to check: Wadi Tayyibah – Serene Walk in Greenery, Alluring Mountain Streams and Wadi Shawka Pools or Incredible Journey Through Wadi Sena.
