Wutach Gorge

The Wutach once flowed east to the Danube; during the last ice age it was diverted to the Rhine, how and exactly when is still argued over, and the river switched to a much steeper course, cutting a gorge some thirty kilometres long and up to a hundred and seventy metres deep in geological terms almost overnight. The walls expose a sequence of rock from granite through Triassic and Jurassic layers, and because the gorge has been left largely unmanaged it holds an unusually rich flora and fauna, with over twelve hundred plant species recorded. The main trail runs along the river on bridges and ladders, and floods regularly damage it.

Highlights

• The river capture - a gorge cut fast when the river changed course.
• The rock sequence - granite to Jurassic layers exposed in the walls.
• The unmanaged forest - fallen trees and gravel banks left in place.
• The trail - a riverside route on bridges, ladders and rough paths.

When to go

May to October; the trail closes in winter and after floods, which happen most years and can shut sections for months. Check current conditions before setting out.

What to expect

Sections close after floods, sometimes for a whole season. The full walk is long with limited exits. There is no phone signal in much of the gorge.

Nearby

The Feldberg lies northwest; the Swiss border is south.

Key facts