Shevi Waterfall

Shevi, sometimes called Tale Zang, is a waterfall in a steep gorge in the Zagros foothills of northern Khuzestan, where water emerging from a cave and springs falls in a wide sheet down a wooded cliff into a pool. Its setting is oak forest and limestone in a valley that is genuinely hard to reach: the usual approach is by boat across the Shahid Abbaspour reservoir behind the Karun dam, landing on the far shore, and then walking up the valley for an hour or more on a rough path, which keeps visitor numbers low. Flow is strongest in spring with snowmelt from the mountains above and drops substantially by summer. A railway line on the historic Trans-Iranian route passes through the area.

The landscape

• A wide fall in a wooded gorge - water spread across the cliff face.
• The reservoir boat crossing - the standard approach across the water.
• Zagros oak forest - the valley the path climbs through.
• Spring snowmelt flow - the fall at its strongest in March and April.

When to go

March to May for the strongest flow and comfortable temperatures; by summer both the water and the walking conditions decline. A full day including the boat and the walk. Trips are arranged in Dezful.

Things to know

Access is genuinely difficult and needs a boat, a guide and a walk of an hour or more on rough ground. Flow drops sharply after spring. There are no facilities. Summer heat in Khuzestan makes the walk unwise.

Nearby

Dezful is south-east; the Trans-Iranian railway runs through the valley.

Key facts