Some people go to the mountains for the spectacular views and some to enjoy off-road mountain trails. When it comes to tackling the mountain terrain, United Arab Emirates have so much to offer. From driving in valleys, through conquering rough mountain tops. Here are 5 unbeatable off-road mountain trails in the United Arab Emirates, so grab your car because it’s time to go off-road!
1. WADI SHAWKA
There is nothing quite like tacking on the mud and rough terrain in an off-road adventure, especially after rain. And Wadi Shawka (25°06’05.5″N 56°03’36.6″E) is a perfect location for that. Depending on the season and weather you might be lucky to come across the natural pools and ponds, that give an awesome opportunity to let your car in mud and get a little dirty! The trail difficulty level is very easy, as it’s mostly flat and not challenging terrain. More about Wadi Shawka I wrote in this article: Ultimate guide to Wadi Shawka
2. WADI NAQAB
If you are looking for other off-road mountain trials for beginners, you may want to check Wadi Naqab. “Wadi” in Arabic language means: valley, or more suitable translation would be: dry river bed. Usually a huge mass of water comes through it when it rains, therefore visiting Wadi Naqab during such weather conditions might not be a good idea. This road gets often destroyed by huge stones being carried away, coming from the mountains.
Parts of the trail don’t require a 4×4 car, but if you are looking to tackle it all the way inside mountains (25°43’01.3″N 56°07’00.5″E), you certainly need a real off-road vehicle to be able to handle the terrain.
Wadi Naqab is definitely my favorite out of all off-road mountain trails giving a lot of other outdoor opportunities that you can read about here: THE SECRETS OF WADI NAQAB
3. JEBEL YANAS
Traversing area around Wadi Naqab there is another option to hit the back road (25°42’17.0″N 56°03’57.3″E) leading to the top of Yanas Mountain. The rugged terrain, at times steep and the expansive views ensure that on this trail you are sure to be met with adventure. You will also have opportunity to pass through the mountain village and get a deeper insight of how life used to look like ages ago, when people used to live here, at the top of mountains. More about this place you can get to know in this article: THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO JEBEL YANAS RIGHT NOW! and BREATHTAKING VIEW FROM THE HIGHLAND VILLA
4. KHATT MOUNTAINS
Easy to medium difficulty. Open dusty trail, with a few challenging steep, rocky sections, but if you have any experience in off-road, or you have gone through any of the off-road mountain trails in the UAE, surely you will manage. It is mostly a long, peaceful journey through rather flat hills of Khatt region. You can drive deep into the mountains to explore the remote terrain (25°36’50.9″N 56°03’47.6″E). For more details, check here: WHAT IS HIDDEN IN KHATT MOUNTAINS?
5. WADI SAL
At last, it is time for cherry at the top – off-road trail in Wadi Sal(25°45’25.9″N 56°07’43.0″E). Prepare for heart attack! This route will take you through the steep incline leading to the heritage village at the top of the mountain. Right at the trail’s beginning it looks like regular mountain trail, however once you hit the road, you will quickly understand there is no way back. It’s a long drive up the ridge requiring some careful driving, cold blood and a little traction.
In some places the road was supported with concrete parts, as it is often prone to be damaged by water running from the top. Driving up you will have a chance marvel at breathtaking sceneries of farming fields left by Emirati ancestors left behind you. These fields still tend to get green during cooler months of the year.
UAE OFF-ROADER GUIDE
If you are looking for more off-road mountain trails to discover about 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.
You can get it from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UrKZdo
I hope you found this article about off-road mountain trails in the UAE helpful and it gave you idea where to head to next weekend. Enjoy!
