Hiking

Who Can attend?

Anyone! We have no age restrictions, but minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian.

Permitted access to the park:

Follow the marked trails and return back to the park before closing hours. All hikes are marked and navigation devices such as GPS are not required.

What To Expect?

XQuarry offers hiking routes for all levels with spectacular views and diverse trails. Some trails are easy to walk, others require scrambling over rocks and boulders.

If you are inexperienced or are hiking with children, we always recommend opting for one of the guided options. A guide will always add to your experience and can point out highlights you might miss otherwise.

We are constantly extending our routes. Here are our existing routes: 

The Plateau Walk (9am – 11am only)

The Plateau Walk is a 2.5km walk up (total 5km) the mountain along the washed out track which is also used by 4x4s to drive up the mountain. The road is exclusively used for hikes every morning from 9am until 11am. After that we will open the trail to a limited number of vehicles which you might encounter on your way down. The trail is easy to follow and not technical, yet the surface has loose gravel and is uneven. It is exposed to the sun so ensure you have enough sun protection and liquids with you. The reward of the hike will be the spectacular 360° view of the mountains in the east, and the desert in the west. The way back is the same way you came up. You should be able to make the loop in about 1.5 – 2hrs.

The Secret Valley Hike

This hike is a bit more technical and requires some scrambling over rocks and boulders in some places, but there are no steep cliffs. It is about 2.5km which you should be able to loop in 1 – 1.5hrs. Along the way you will find ‘The Passage’, a huge rock laying over smaller rocks building a natural bridge which you can pass through. Further up the trail, you will find ‘The Cave’, a small cave you can crawl in to. See how far you dare to go in the dark. The end of this short hike marks the ‘The View’, a small plateau up on the valley with great views overlooking the desert. From here on it will get more technical and you can continue to other route options, or trace your way back.

The Cliff Views

This is a steep 2km hike straight up the mountain through a wadi bed where you follow a rounded mountain ridge until you reach the cliff facing northwest with amazing views of Fossil Rock and the desert. The hike can be done in one hour but requires some scrambling and passing steep hillsides. There is a great photo opportunity here which can be taken on top of an exposed rock with the desert as your background.

Warning – stay away from the cliff edge, the rocks are loose and can break away easily!

The Short Cliff Loop

This is a noticeably short hike which is the perfect trail for beginners to get a taste of what awaits them on the longer hikes. The loop is about 800m long and goes around the obstacle running area up on the first cliff step. This hike is suitable for families. The area is in the shade in the morning so it can also be done in the hotter period. This short hike provides great opportunities for some amazing photos. It should take you 30-45 min to complete.