Chekan Waterfall

Chekan Waterfall (آبشار چکان) is located southwest of Aligoodarz city in Lorestan province. It falls from the Zagros heights, overseeing the Chekan Valley, and has a height of 30 meters and spans four meters wide. The water source for the waterfall is from inside a cave. Due to the natural water source the surrounding area is covered with walnut and pear trees while the locals also utilize it for irrigation of their fields. The immediate ecosystem is home to animals such as pigeons, nightingales, partridges, bears, leopards and wolves.

Water from the waterfall continues towards Chekan Valley, joins Dasar spring before forming the Chekan River and ultimately emptying in Zaz River. The waterfall dries up gradually in the beginning of autumn and comes to life again in spring. Also approximately two to three kilometers from the waterfall is Imamzadeh Aboo Ali which attracts a number of visitors.

There are various routes to arrive at the waterfall. From the west one can take the paved Doroud Connector towards Shool Abad while also there is a hiking trail from Doroud to Shapleh. From the east one can also travel from Aligoodarz on paved roads towards the waterfall. For any of the routes the final stretch is approximately five kilometers on foot. It has been advised against staying or arriving after dark due to the difficult terrain, the possibility of veering off course and the presence of wild animals.

Research has show that there is a significant relationship between the two variables of impacts of waterfalls and natural attractions of the Lorestan province and the emergence of the province as an ecotourism hub of the country and also the development of tourism and ecotourism can pave the way for socio-economic development of local communities in the province. As such in recent years, in order to enhance visitors’ experience, improvements to the area have been initiated which include upgrading restroom facilities, renovating the hiking trails and tending to damaged surrounding areas as a result of flooding in 2022.