The spectacular cliffs of the Edge of the World are the perfect place for hikers, only 100km from Riyadh, making them the perfect day trip. Despite the official website stating it is closed, we headed out anyway. There is a plenty of information regarding getting to The Edge of the World via the Acacia Valley Route, but the gates are only open for a short period of time during the weekend making it busy. So how do you get out there during the week?
The Sadus Dam route is your only option, and it can get a bit tricky.
Getting There
Passing by the turn off marked “Access to EOW” on google maps, you hit the town of Sadus. Continue through the town, and turn left following signs for Sadus Dam. Before reaching the dam, a dirt road leads off on the right. This is the beginning of the trail.
Sadus Dam Trail
The majority of the track is gravel and fairly easy to navigate, but there are some difficult points, so I would only recommend attempting this in a 4WD. We got through in a Suzuki Jimmy with no problems but did grab low range 4x4 a few times.
Only a few hundred metres after turning off the road, you reach a river bed crossing (dry at the time we went during summer) with a short steep decent and ascent up the other side. From here it’s a long drive, following previous tyre marks through the gravel. There were a few more smaller river bed crossing, but just pick your line carefully and keep momentum up!
Road Block
After incidents of cars driving off the edge of the cliffs, there was an attempt to block this trail with a large gravel barrier. If you made it this far in a 2WD car, park here and walk the last 2km to the lookout. In a 4WD, there is a path to get through on the far right side, but it does put you very close to a steep drop off. I suggest to get out and assess the path, as on our trip large boulders in the trail had us on 3 wheels both on the way down and back up! Bit sketchy but it can be done safely.
The Lookout
This trail leads you to the very top of The Edge of the World, so approach with caution! Park up just before the cliff and from there the hiking trail leads off to the right. The path splits in two, the left leading you down to stand atop the pillar below and the right taking you to the top of the peak. The beauty of taking this trail is you can go during the week, where you are likely to have the whole place to yourself! 2-3 hours is more than enough time to explore, and have a nice picnic.
What to bring
Before leaving Riyadh I recommend stocking up on food and bringing plenty of water as this is far out into the desert! There was phone coverage at all times, but it may take a while for help to come if you get stuck. At no time was there a need to air down tires during the summer, but if there has been rain it could be muddy, at which point you may need to air down tires. So an air compressor and basic recovery tools (shovel, rope) could be required depending on conditions. Travelling with multiple cars together is always advised.
Getting Back
From the lookout you can continue down into the Acacia Valley, where you can campsites more protected from the weather, but unless it’s the weekend the gate at the end will be closed and you will have to back track. So from the car park, just head back the way you came.
Edge of the World is the perfect day trip from Riyadh! Get going early to beat the heat, or set off to catch the sunset. Either way, enjoy the journey and stay safe!
