Flash flood danger
Do not enter the canyon when rain is forecast in the area or upstream, even under clear skies. Check the forecast on the morning of the trip.
Inside a nature reserve
Keep to the reserve rules and stay on the marked trails.
A dry canyon in the Eilat mountains near Kibbutz Samar, with fairly short drops in sandstone and granite, for a hard cool-season day.
- Challenging
- Dry canyon
- eilat mountains
- Several rappels
- Negev
Information as of 9 Jan 2024
At a glance
- Duration
- 6 h
- Trail length
- 5 km
- Tallest waterfall
- 48 m
- Number of waterfalls
- 7
- Rope needed
- 100 m
- Shuttle
- Needed
- Water
- Dry
- To the first waterfall:
- 2 km
- Exit distance:
- 100 m
- Circular route:
- No
- Flash flood risk:
- High
- Reserve:
- Yes
Field reports
How much water there was and how it went, from people who were here. Every report is reviewed before it is published.
No reports from this place yet
Were you here lately? Tell us how much water there was and how it went. It helps the next group plan.
Meeting point (parking)
Metzokei Dragot night campsite
The meeting point is the parking spot. You continue on foot from here.
Coordinates: 31.59238, 35.38931
About
Nahal Samar is a dry canyon in the Eilat mountains in the southern Arava. The route runs through a narrow gorge with sandstone and granite walls and has a series of dry drops, none of them especially long.
Even though the drops are short, the route is rated hard: it is long, exposed to the sun and demands rappelling and rope skills all day. The start is reached on a dirt road, and there is no water along the way.
Access notes
The meeting point is a parking area near Kibbutz Samar on Route 90 in the Arava. A dirt road leads to the start of the route, and from there you walk to the canyon entrance.
Parking
Park at the Metzukei Dragot night camp, next to the holiday village on the plateau. The route is linear: leave a second car on Route 90 near Einot Samar, about three kilometres north of the Dragot checkpoint.
Difficulty and suitability
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Good for beginners
- No
- Minimum age
- From age 14
- Recommended group size
- Up to 12 people
- Typical duration
- 6 h
- Hiking distance
- 5.5 km
- Elevation gain
- 350 m
- Water activity
- No
- Route type
- Dry
Descent profile
Scroll sideways for details
Waterfalls(7)
| # | Name | Height | Obstacle | Profile | Landing | Anchor | Bolts and stations | Rope | From previous | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bypass on the right | Height: – | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | 50 m | |
| ||||||||||
| 2 | א | Height: 48 mOther source: 45 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2024) | Waterfall / rappel | Overhang | – | Mixed | – | 100 m | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 3 | Updated 9 Jan 2024 | Height: – | Waterfall / rappel | Chute | – | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 4 | ג | Height: 30 mOther source: 20 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2024) | Waterfall / rappel | Stepped | – | Bolts | – | 50 m | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 5 | ד | Height: 30 mOther source: 30 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2024) | Waterfall / rappel | Slab | – | Mixed | – | 70 m | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 6 | Bypass on the right | Height: – | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 7 | ה | Height: 27 mOther source: 35 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2024) | Waterfall / rappel | Stepped | – | – | – | 80 m | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 8 | ו | Height: 21 mOther source: 20 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2024) | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | 50 m | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 9 | זBypass on the right | Height: 21 mOther source: 15 m (canaan-canyoning.xyz, 2024) | Waterfall / rappel | Slab | – | Mixed | 1 bolt | 40 m | – | |
| ||||||||||
Seasons
Points on the map
- Meeting pointPrimaryחניון ליד קיבוץ סמר, כביש 90 בערבה
29.83390, 35.02200
- ParkingMetzokei Dragot night campsite
31.59238, 35.38931
- Route endNahal Samar at Route 90
31.60795, 35.40689
Safety
Do not go during heat waves or extreme heat, and do not enter during flood warnings. Summer heat is dangerous. There is no water on the route, so each participant carries all their water for the day.
Weather constraints
אסור בימי שרב וחום קיצוני (מעל 38 מעלות). אסור להיכנס בזמן התרעות שיטפון. העונה המומלצת: אוקטובר עד מרץ. בקיץ הטמפרטורות יכולות להגיע ל-45 מעלות ומסוכן לצאת למסלול.
Recommendations
For teenagers and adults with rappelling experience, not beginners. The season runs from autumn to the end of winter. Start early and bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.
Equipment
Full rappelling gear for each participant and a rope long enough for the longest drop. Closed shoes, a hat and plenty of water.
Photos
הרי אילת - הנוף המדברי באזור נחל סמר Photo: Gerda Arendt, CC BY-SA 4.0
אזור סמר בערבה - מבט מהרי אילת Photo: Gerda Arendt, CC BY-SA 4.0
Data sources
The information on this page was collected from these sources.
- ropes.community
- canaan-canyoning.xyzcanaan-canyoning.xyz
- Facts consulted in a Judean Desert guidebook (title pending)
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