Oued Ziz Palmery — Erfoud Northern Floodplain Dispersed Camp

The Oued Ziz cuts through a narrow palmery corridor just north of Erfoud before the landscape opens onto the pre-Saharan plateau. On the western bank above the date palm groves, overlanders have used the broad gravel terraces as staging camps for decades — it’s the traditional spot to sort gear before pushing south toward Erg Chebbi. The ground is firm packed gravel and silt, level enough for a rooftop tent or ground setup. The palm canopy provides midday shade and some wind break. No facilities whatsoever. Bring everything in and out.

Access is off the N13 north of Erfoud via a rough sandy track down to the riverbank — navigable in a standard 4×4 but the descent can be slippery after rain. Flash floods move fast through this valley; do not camp on the floodplain floor if there’s any upstream weather. Best October through March. Summer camping here is survivable only for the truly heat-hardened.

Ziz palmery bench before the dune run.