Recent rain? Check the mud forecast before you go. Download the route’s GPX and upload it to ‘HaSingletor’ – you’ll get the chance of mud from the nearest rain station and the soil type.
A loop from Yeruham via Sde Boker and Ein Avdat, Nahal Zin and Nahal Zarhan, to the Big Crater. The desert's diamonds: coloured rock, the Colored Sands and views that are hard to forget.
132 km in a loop from Yeruham. You pass through Nahal HaRo'a and Nahal Havarim to Sde Boker, drop past Ein Avdat to Nahal Zin and Nahal Zarhan, and return through Ein Yorke'am, the Colored Sands and the Big Crater. A desert route with about 1,650 m of climbing, only two fuel stations and no shops at all.
Loop · Yeruham2 daysNov–AprModerate
132km
1,650m climbing
77.2km, longest stretch without fuel
2fuel stations within 300 m
6water taps along the way
8night campsites near the route
There are no shops on the route, and the only fuel stations are in Yeruham at the start (280 m off the route) and at Sde Boker (km 54.8): carry food for the whole way. Water points are few, at km 23.0, 45.8, 54.8, 58.8, 67.4 and 105.4, with 38 km and no water between Hod Akev and Sha'ar Oron.
Firing zones on the way
The route crosses 3 firing zones, about 34 km of 132. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.
Firing zone 510km 3–6, 24–29Southern Command coordination center08-9902926
Firing zone 504km 6–7, 11–17, 120–130Southern Command coordination center08-9902926
Firing zone 514km 85–100Southern Command coordination center08-9902926
Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date. Some sections are a road that crosses the zone. Either way, check and coordinate before you go.All coordination centers →
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The route at a glance
Fuel stationGrocery or supermarketWater tapNight campsite
01km 0–28
Nahal Revivim and Nahal HaRo'a
You leave Yeruham national park, by the Helmoniot reserve, and ride west along Nahal Revivim and Nahal HaRo'a. The route rolls between 450 and 590 m, past Mount Katu'a and Mitzpe Yehonatan, to Merhav Am.
Along the way
km 0.3Yeruham national park
km 2.7Helmoniot Yeruham nature reserve
km 12.8Nahal HaRo'a
km 20.7Mount Katu'a, a hill with an all-round view, 390 m off the route
km 23.1Mitzpe Yehonatan, a pergola and seating, 410 m off the route
Resupply · km 23 Water near Merhav Am. The next water is at km 45.8
02km 28–55
Nahal Havarim and Sde Boker
On west, near the Hagai lookout and past a Nabataean watchtower, to the Tzinim cliff reserve and Nahal HaBsor. Then into Nahal Havarim, with a campsite right by the route and a lookout over the Zin valley, to Sde Boker and the only fuel station on the way.
Along the way
km 33.5A Nabataean watchtower, 130 m off the route
km 40.6Tzinim cliff nature reserve and Nahal HaBsor
km 46.7Upper Nahal Havarim night campsite, 80 m off the route
km 48.3Havarim lookout, over the Zin valley
km 54.7Ben Gurion's Desert Home, 370 m off the route
Resupply · km 54.8 Delek fuel station at Sde Boker, and water. The only fuel on the way after Yeruham
03km 55–80
Down to Nahal Zin
By Ben Gurion's tomb, on the rim of Ein Avdat, the descent to Nahal Zin begins, past the Serpentinot campsite. You ride along Nahal Zin, past Hod Akev, with water and toilets, losing about 300 m gradually, down to only about 200 m above sea level.
Along the way
km 58.8Water near Midreshet Ben-Gurion
km 59.1Ben-Gurion's tomb, by Ein Avdat national park
km 60.5Serpentinot night campsite, with toilets
km 62.1Nahal Zin, until km 80
km 67.3Hod Akev night campsite, water and toilets
km 79.5Jacob's Ladder, a roadside structure
Resupply · km 67.4 Water at Hod Akev. The next water is at Sha'ar Oron, km 105.4
04km 80–106
Nahal Zarhan and Sha'ar Oron
In Nahal Zarhan you pass Ein Umm Tina, a shallow spring with a small fig tree, then climb almost 300 m, to about 470 m. After that the route rolls, along Nahal Golhan, to the Sha'ar Oron campsite by the factory gate, with water taps and tables.
Along the way
km 80.2Nahal Zarhan, until km 85
km 80.6Ein Umm Tina
km 98.4Nahal Golhan
km 105.4Sha'ar Oron night campsite, with water taps
Resupply · km 105.4 Water at Sha'ar Oron, the last on the route
05km 106–132
The Big Crater
You drop to Nahal Hatira and Ein Yorke'am, a spring with water all year, by Mezad Yorke'am. From there into the Big Crater, past the Colored Sands, the quartz arenite and the Petroleum Explorers Camp, and climb almost 400 m to the route's highest point, about 650 m. Finally you descend along Nahal Shualim back to Yeruham.
Along the way
km 109Ein Yorke'am night campsite and Mezad Yorke'am, 80 m off the route
km 109.7Ein Yorke'am
km 112.9The Colored Sands and a day-use area
km 117.6Quartz arenite
km 119.6Petroleum Explorers Camp, 250 m off the route
km 123.3Nahal Shualim, until km 131
Where to sleep
To split it over two days, Hod Akev (km 67.3), with water and toilets, or Serpentinot (km 60.5). Over three days, Upper Nahal Havarim (km 46.7) and Ein Yorke'am (km 109).
Straight-line distanceDistances from the route are straight-line distances, not riding distances. Before you set out, check on a map that a trail or road actually reaches the place.
km 46.7Free
חניון לילה נחל חוורים עליון80 m off the route
km 49.2Free
חניון לילה בור חוורים390 m off the route
km 60.5Halfway
חניון לילה סרפנטינות20 m off the route · Water and toilets
km 63.6Halfway
חניון לילה משטחים לבנים960 m off the route · Water and toilets
km 67.3Halfway
חניון לילה חוד עקב20 m off the route · Water and toilets
km 105.4Free
חניון לילה שער אורון20 m off the route
km 109With water
חניון לילה עין יורקעם80 m off the route
km 112.9Free
חניון לילה חולות צבעוניים100 m off the route
Where to refuel
Fuel stations, groceries and food within 300 m of the route. Fuel stations usually have water, toilets and a convenience store.
Straight-line distanceDistances from the route are straight-line distances, not riding distances. Before you set out, check on a map that a trail or road actually reaches the place.
km 0
Sonol
km 54.7–54.8
DelekA café or restaurant
Distances along the route are calculated from the GPX file; the distance of each place from the route is a straight-line distance. Night campsites come from the site's campsite map, other places from OpenStreetMap. Not checked on the ground: confirm before you go.
Firing zones: OpenStreetMap, IDF data import
Distance, climbing and recommended months come from the routes table. Highest and lowest points are calculated from the GPX file, and difficulty is an estimate based on climbing per kilometre.
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Rents out satellite trackers and communicators. In the desert and in areas with no signal, your family can follow your location, and in an emergency you can call for help.
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