Kalshour River

Kalshour River or Shor river (salty river) is the only permanent river in the heart of the Lut Desert which is full of water over the course of the year. Kalshour River is another landmark of the Lut desert in Kerman province. 

One of the most attractive parts of Iran is undoubtedly the Lut Desert where it hosts tourists in the second half of the year because of its glorious weather. The Lut desert presents a collection of the most beautiful attractions for travelers as follows:

• Shahdad, where located one hundred kilometers in the east of Kerman, is one of the desert tourism hubs in the country.
   
• The Lut desert has unique world-class records including:
   
  • Highest surface temperature of the globe
     
  • Highest Kalut (an unbeatable natural phenomenon made by the dual action of wind abrasion of dust and sand)
     
  • Nabkha (a natural phenomenon made by the interaction of wind erosion, moisture of the region and vegetation cover)
     
  • The highest sand dunes
     
  • The world's saltiest rivers called Kalshour River
     

 Each of them can be an incentive to travel to this mysterious desert.

Kalshour River, a miracle in the heart of Lut desert

Among the arid land of lute desert, the sound of the Kalshour River, one of the most important rivers in the area, is heard. The Kalshour River, which refers to water saturated with salt in the local dialect, is another attraction of the Lut desert in Kerman. The Kalshour River is the saltiest river in the world and very rich in minerals. The river is highly acidic due to the passage of desert areas, so avoid touching the river water seriously. The Kalshour River forms a Salt Lake during the rainy seasons. What’s more, the river draws picturesque effects on the sand by settling white salt on the surface of the desert during the dry seasons. Testing the water is a bad idea and leaves the effects of saltiness and bitterness on the lips for a few days!

The existence of Kalshour River plays a crucial role in the strength and rigidity of Kaluts and guarantees the continued existence of them. During the dry seasons, the concentration of salt in the Kalshour River is so high that no vegetation grows along the river bank. Due to the high evaporation of water, the depth of the river becomes less and less and eventually turns into beautiful salt crystals in the middle of the desert. The Kalshour River is basically a seasonal river, but due to the high groundwater level, it has water throughout the year. The Kalshour River originates from the high-altitudes of South Khorasan Province and after pass a 200 kilometers distance, the river descends to the ground in Shahdad Desert and creates salt mountains.

What is the best time to go?

Late autumn and winter are the best times to travel there when the river bed is filled with streams of water. You can observe the picturesque landscape of the oval hills and Kalutes in the midst of water and give a special sense as if it’s a Wanderer island!

Getting there:

In order to visit the Kalshour River, you must drive about 90 kilometers from Shafiabad village toward Nehbandan. On the road to Nehbandan you can see the Kalshour River.