Wadi Wurayah National Park

Wadi Wurayah was declared a protected area in 2009 and a national park in 2013, the first mountain park in the country, covering around a hundred and thirty square kilometres of the Hajar range. It holds the only permanent freshwater in the emirate, pools and a waterfall fed by springs, which supports species found nowhere else in the country including a distinct toad and freshwater fish, along with Arabian tahr, caracal and Blanford's fox. Access is controlled and open visiting was ended after damage from crowds.

What you actually see

• The permanent pools - spring-fed freshwater that does not dry out through the year.
• The Arabian tahr - a threatened wild goat of the Hajar mountains.
• The endemic species - the toad, fish and dragonflies confined to this wadi system.
• The waterfall - the fall that made the wadi a destination before access was restricted.

When to go

November to March; the mountains are dangerously hot in summer. Access requires a permit and arrangement in advance. Winter rain can close the tracks.

Honest expectations

The park is not open to casual visits; permits and guides are required and unauthorised entry is enforced against. The restrictions followed serious damage and littering when it was open. Many photographs online date from before the closure.

Nearby

Al Aqah is east, and Masafi is west.