The two hour up and back Siq Trail is a blast. Described as a wet hike, the trail goes up a slot canyon (siq) in water going from a few inches deep to up to about 3.5 feet deep. You take nothing with you on the hike except a water proof camera. You can leave your valuables with the park ranger at the front desk who also gives you a life vest to wear.
Expect quite a bit of scrambling, and the ability to climb over large boulders aided by ropes is a must. Thankfully, even in tennis shoes without great tread the rocks are not slippery.
I absolutely loved this hike. In May both the air and water were the perfect temperature, the trail challenging but not too much so and the scenery beautiful and fascinating.
The canyon walls are spectacular. Some look like they have been painted in a cool geometric design.
Midweek the trails were very empty. While the biosphere reserve office opens at 8:00AM, we were the first to arrive at just before 9AM. For several of the trails you need a group of five or more and must have a guide. We did the Siq Trail which was the only self-guided route available (no reservation was necessary). See their website for a description of all the trails.
I would start as early as possible before the direct light gets too harsh in the canyon. Also, at that early hour you can have the place to yourself. We didn’t see another hiker until we were well on our way out.
Photos:
May 11, 2016
For links to all the posts in this series see the Jordan page.