Yarmouk Nature Reserve

The Yarmouk reserve covers hill country in the far northwestern corner of Jordan, declared in 2010 as the country's newest protected area, and it holds oak and pistacia woodland with roe deer, a species that had almost disappeared from the country and has been reintroduced here. The reserve looks out over the Yarmouk river gorge. Facilities were still being developed years after designation and access arrangements change.

What you actually see

• The oak woodland - the hill forest the reserve was created to protect.
• The roe deer - the reintroduced population in the reserve.
• The Yarmouk gorge - the river valley the reserve overlooks.
• The northwestern corner - country very different from the rest of Jordan.

When to go

March to May and September to November are the best months. Spring is green and the wild flowers are at their peak. Summer is hot.

Honest expectations

Facilities are limited and access arrangements have changed repeatedly since designation; check before travelling. Roe deer sightings are unlikely. The reserve sits near a sensitive border and movement may be restricted.

Nearby

Irbid is southeast, and Umm Qais is south.