The Red Canyon National Park is a national park in the southern Negev, not far from the Egyptian border north of Eilat located.
background
The Y-shaped one Wadi Shani has its origin in the west across the Egyptian border. The northern Wadi Shani runs from northwest to southeast and has the when crossing the colorful sandstone layers Red Canyon ("Red Canyon") cut deep into the terrain. It unites with that coming from the southwest - from across the Egyptian border southern Wadi Shani.
The area around the Red Canyon with the various hiking trails that are very scenic is than National park area Retired, here the national park rules (no overnight stay, no open fire, no rubbish left behind, no bothering animals or plants) apply.
history
landscape
The northern Wadi Shani runs from northwest to southeast in forms in its southern section the Red Canyon. The previously relatively wide river valley narrows, so the river bed of the Shani has eaten deeply through the hard cover rock into the softer reddish sandstone. The eroded canyon is so narrow in places that hardly two people can pass next to each other. Steel brackets mounted as steps.
The southern Wadi Shani comes from the Egyptian border and runs in a north-easterly direction, at one point a break with a waterfall that has dried up in the summer months has to be bypassed from the path. After joining with the northern Wadi Shani, the valley runs in a south-easterly direction as an increasingly widening canyon.
Flora and fauna
In the Red Canyon there is little vegetation, after passing the narrow canyon and also in the whole of southern Wadi Shani, a number of green trees and bushes grow all year round, mainly acacia (Acacia raddiana) and Ochradenus baccatus, a shrub from the Reseda family.
In the vicinity of the canyon one can encounter ibex (Nubian Ibex), rock slate (Hyrax) and the red fox, on birds of the cap - wheatear (black, with a white belly and white cap, the frequent desert dweller is also called Hooded Wheatear), Lizards and the Sinai agame.
climate
In the southern Negev there is an arid desert climate, the cool mornings are recommended for excursions in the summer months, the optimal hiking season is in the winter half-year from November to April.
getting there
Access is via the Hauptstrasse 12 , which between the Nitafon Junction with the 40 and Eilat runs along the Egyptian border, which is secured with strong border fences after terrorist attacks from the Sinai in the past.
The 1 Junction from the street 12 Red Canyon is well signposted, you can either go right here 2 South Wadi Shani Parkingpark (if you want to do a round tour through the southern Wadi Shani, or on a good drivable gravel road to the 3 Red Canyon Parkingparking spot Continue at the beginning of the Red Canyon if you only want to do the short round trip through the canyon.
Fees / permits
Access is free, but only allowed in the daytime hours until sunset.
mobility
Locally one moves on foot. Access to the canyon is easy to handle as a walk. In the Red Canyon itself and on the way back above the canyon, which is marked in heavy white, some difficult passages are secured with steel brackets as steps or ladders. Since many Israelis take the tour through the Red Canyon as a family excursion, the path is also popular with children, although children have to be carried piggyback in several places.
The demolition in the Sügl. Wadi Shani is somewhat exposed, also secured with steel clips as kicks and easy to walk on for young people, not suitable for small children due to the risk of falling (T2 according to the SAC scale).
Tourist Attractions
Red Canyon 
- from Parking lot from you take the 1 green and white marked route
, which initially meanders in an increasingly narrowing wadi of yellowish conglomerate rock (similar to Nagelfluh), in front of the 2 Entry to Red Canyon The wadi widens, the flat plates of reddish - dark red grained harder rock, in which the water of the Shani has eaten and formed the canyon, are beautiful to make out. - now it goes in 3 Red Canyon downhill, the bottom of the canyon is partly washed out, partly there is some gravel. Several stages are with steel brackets and tethers, respectively. short steel ladders secured.
, which initially meanders in an increasingly narrowing wadi of yellowish conglomerate rock (similar to Nagelfluh), in front of the - Since the canyon is mainly from the morning hours on weekends committed very intensely and crossing is not possible in some cases, a one-way system is used when there are high numbers of visitors The green and white marked route is only used for the path downstream.
- At the exit of the Red Canyon the river valley widens, here on the right is the 4 difficult-white route, way backAlternative route
to return signposted, it runs exposed above the bottom of the gorge. - on the way back on the green-marked route is a 5 blue and white return route Alternative route to the parking lot
Signed in blue and white.
to return signposted, it runs exposed above the bottom of the gorge.
Signed in blue and white.- as an alternative, you can use the Continue hiking on the green and white route and then come to the intersection with the "Southern Wadi Shani", this option is described below as a round trip in the opposite direction.
southern Wadi Shan - northern Wadi Shani - Red Canyon (round trip, also in the opposite direction)
An alternative for those who enjoy hiking is the circular tour through the southern Wadi Shani and way back through the Red Canyon, depending on the use of the one-way regulation, it does not have to be walked counterclockwise as described, but clockwise when there are high numbers of visitors.
- a possible one 6 starting point To the south of Wadi Shani, the parking lot is right at the junction from the road 12.
- the one with the 7 black and white route marked path leads through the southern Wadi Shani with its reddish rock, the valley is usually wide, there are always rock ridges over which one can climb down.
- on the right goes after some time 8 Route Mount Neshef Marked blue and white to climb the black one Mount Neshef from.
- a 9 signpost marks the beginning of the canyon of the southern Wadi Shani, this is where the red and white route comes from the Red Canyon Campground; you stay on the difficult white route.
- the wide canyon, dug into the reddish rock, winds slowly in an easterly direction with picturesque green trees.
- a break with a dry waterfall is bypassed on the right; the path is a bit steep here and the 10 descent secured with some steel clamps (Risk of falling for children!)
- the wide, deeply buried one 11 black and white routeCanyon winds continue in an easterly direction until you reach the after approx. 1 km 12 Crossing south / north Wadi Shani Intersection with the green-white route. On the right-hand side to the east, one could hike on the green-white route into Wadi Raham (6 km) and to road 90 (16 km).
- for the round tour you follow the wide canyon of the 13 green and white routenorthern Wadi Shani with partly reddish, partly yellowish and whitish rock walls that tower high.
- one approaches it from the east 14 Red Canyon, lower entry lower end of the Red Canyon, to the left resp. West shows the previously described black and white marked alternative route to the ascent above the Red Canyon. If it is possible from the "oncoming traffic", you now climb into the from below Red Canyon to the top and, as described, has to cope with some places with ladders or steel clamp steps.
- When you reach the top of the Red Canyon, you take the green and white marked route to Red Canyon Campground and parking.
- From there you can hike back on the gravel road to the starting point on road 12, or you can take the "shortcut path" in a southerly direction, the 15 red and white route back to the signpost
is marked in red and white and comes back to the crossing in the southern Wadi Shan that you passed earlier, along which you return to the starting point hikes (more scenic than following the road).
is marked in red and white and comes back to the crossing in the southern Wadi Shan that you passed earlier, along which you return to the starting point activities
- hike
shop
The next shopping possibilities are in Eilat.
kitchen
There are no places to eat and drink on site and there are no fresh water points, food and sufficient drinking water (2-3 l for the half-day tour) must be taken with you.
accommodation
Hotels and hostels
- Hotel accommodation and a SPNI Field School with rooms there is in the near Eilat
camping
- 1 Red Canyon Campground on the Red Canyon Campground you can spend the night, as is typical in Israel, the "campground" consists only of a practically shadowless graveled area delimited by stone blocks. Outside the designated area, it is forbidden to stay overnight in the national park area.
security
- Security is guaranteed despite the proximity to the border, but valuables should not be left open in the vehicle in order not to arouse desires.
- There is more danger from nature: in the desert with extreme daytime temperatures, especially in the summer months, sufficient drinking water must be carried with you! The canyon itself offers some shade, otherwise shade trees are rare; Good sun protection and appropriate headgear are recommended.
- On the marked trails, critical points are secured with steel clips or iron ladders, there is a place for small children here and on exposed cliffs Risk of falling, they must be worn or closely supervised. Free climbing and abseiling is prohibited in the national park area.
trips
- many travelers will Eilat have already visited, it is worth continuing to the artist kibbutz Neot Semadar.
- Climbing Mount Solomon
literature
- Leaflet Welcome to the Red Canyon with a map of the marked paths is available at the parking lot, Hebrew and English.
