The trail after the pause
The Jordan Trail — a 650-kilometer hiking route that runs the length of Jordan from Umm Qais in the north to Aqaba in the south — was completed in 2017 and immediately became one of the most significant additions to the country’s tourism infrastructure. Then Covid happened, and the trail spent the better part of two years with minimal foot traffic.
We walked the Dana-to-Petra section in spring 2022 — the 75-kilometer section that most thru-hikers consider the trail’s highlight, and the section that sees the most traffic from independent visitors who aren’t doing the full route. Here is what we found, what had changed, and what anyone planning this section in 2022-2024 should know.
What improved: signage and GPS accuracy
The original Jordan Trail signage in the Dana-to-Petra section was, in 2019, reasonably good in some areas and inadequate in others. The cairns that mark the route across open terrain were inconsistent; some of the orange trail markers had been knocked over or faded to illegibility. Navigating without a guide required careful GPS tracking and some experience with unmarked terrain.
In 2022, the situation was notably better. The Jordan Trail Association had used the quiet period to go through the trail with new markers: painted rocks, replaced signposts at key junctions, some new stone cairns in sections that had been ambiguous. The junctions at the top of the Dana descent — where the trail splits between the Rummana campsite route and the direct village descent — now have a clear metal signpost that wasn’t there two years earlier.
The GPS tracks available on the Jordan Trail Association’s website and on the AllTrails app were also updated. The track we downloaded for the Dana-Petra section was accurate within 15 meters throughout, including through the canyon sections where satellite signal is sometimes partial. In 2019, some sections of the GPS track were off by 50-100 meters in the canyon floor, which is enough to route you into a dead-end. Not a problem in spring 2022.
The new shelter at Wadi Faynan
This is the most significant physical change on the trail.
Wadi Faynan — the ancient copper mining area at the bottom of the Dana descent, now managed by the RSCN and home to the Feynan Ecolodge — has always been a critical waypoint on the trail: the only reliable water source and accommodation option in a 40-kilometer stretch. The ecolodge itself is one of the great overnight experiences in Jordan (solar power, no mobile signal, extraordinary night sky), but at 80-100 JOD per person per night it’s not accessible to everyone walking the trail.
In late 2021, the Jordan Trail Association and local partners installed a dedicated trail shelter in the Feynan area — a stone and timber structure with sleeping platforms (bring a mat and sleeping bag), a basic cooking area, and protected water access. Capacity is about twelve people. Cost is minimal — a small fee paid to the local cooperative that manages it.
We used the shelter on our second night, after arriving from Dana. It was clean, functional, and occupied by two Jordanian hikers and a Norwegian couple who were doing the full trail from north to south. The Norwegian woman had been on the trail for eleven days and had opinions about water sources that proved accurate for the next three sections.
The existence of this shelter changes the logistics for budget hikers significantly. The Dana-to-Petra section is now achievable without booking the Feynan Ecolodge, which gives more flexibility in scheduling and removes the main cost peak from the route.
Water source update: the Dana-to-Petra section
This is the most critical practical information for anyone planning the route.
Dana village: Reliable water available at the RSCN visitor center and several guesthouses. Stock up fully here.
Rummana campsite (2 km from the trail): RSCN managed, seasonal water availability. In spring 2022 (April), there was water. In a dry spring year or in late summer, this cannot be assumed. Check with the RSCN before relying on it.
Wadi Faynan / Feynan area: Reliable year-round. The ecolodge allows trail hikers to refill at the water station outside (small fee or donation). The new shelter has managed water access.
Shobak area: The trail passes through the Shobak Castle area. There is water available at several guesthouses in the village. Shobak Castle itself has a visitor center with reliable water.
Between Shobak and Little Petra: This is the driest section of the route. There is a spring noted on older maps near the Wadi Ghweir area; in 2022, it was dry in April. Do not rely on it without local confirmation. Carry 4 liters minimum for this section (approximately 20 km between reliable sources).
Little Petra (Beidha): Water available from the visitor facilities. This is your last reliable source before the Petra back entrance, which is only about 4 km further.
Weather data from spring 2022
We tracked weather conditions through the Dana-to-Petra section over five days in mid-April 2022.
At Dana village (1,500m): 14°C at sunrise, 24°C at 2pm, 9°C overnight. Light rain on day two; dry thereafter. Wind from the north.
At Wadi Faynan (100m): 22°C at sunrise, 38°C at 2pm. No rain. Wind negligible. Heat at midday was significant — we completed the approach from Dana to Feynan by 10am and rested through the hottest hours.
At Shobak plateau (1,400m): 12°C at sunrise, 22°C at 2pm. Clear skies.
At Petra back entrance: 18°C arriving mid-morning. No wind in the canyon.
The lesson from these numbers: April is close to ideal, but the Feynan section requires very early starts to avoid the valley-floor heat. We left the Feynan shelter at 5:30am to cover 12 km before 10am; anything later would have meant hiking in conditions that require significantly more water than comfortable.
October and November are the optimal alternative window: similar temperatures, less rain risk, excellent visibility.
What we’d still improve
In honesty: the section between the Shobak area and Little Petra has less signage than the earlier sections. There are several junctions in this area where the trail is ambiguous without GPS. A local guide for at least the Shobak-to-Petra section is still worth considering for first-time hikers, even with the GPS tracks available.
The route also passes through some private farmland in the Shobak area. The access is permitted under a community agreement, but we encountered one landowner who was visibly unhappy about the arrangement and asked us why we were there. The Jordan Trail Association is aware of this and working on it; for now, stay on the marked route and move through private areas without stopping.
Joining a guided group
If planning the full four-day Dana-to-Petra section independently seems complex, the guided options handle logistics, water, accommodation and navigation — which takes significant cognitive load off the hiking itself and lets you focus on what the landscape is actually doing.
Amman: Dana to Petra 4-day trekking adventureFor the full trail guide with current conditions: /guides/dana-to-petra-trek/. For the Petra end of the route and what to expect arriving via the back door: /guides/petra-back-door/.
The Jordan Trail is, when conditions align, one of the finest long-distance hiking routes in the Middle East. The 2022 improvements to signage and infrastructure have made it more accessible. Go in spring or autumn. Carry more water than you think you need. Everything else figures itself out.