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.
103 km and about 1,350 m of climbing in a loop from Mitzpe Ramon and back. You head north onto the Negev highlands, past Borot Lotz and the Arod lookout, drop down Nahal Nekarot into the eastern part of Makhtesh Ramon, and pass Be'erot and Ein Saharonim before the climb back to the crater rim. Coloured rock, empty space and almost no services on the way.
Loop · Mitzpe Ramon2 daysOct–MayModerate
103km
1,341m climbing
102.9km, longest stretch without fuel
1fuel station within 300 m
7water taps along the way
12night campsites near the route
Between leaving Mitzpe Ramon and Be'erot, at km 76, there is no shop or food, and the only fuel station is at the finish. Between the water at Borot Lotz (km 29) and Be'erot (km 76.5) there are 47 km without water.
Firing zones on the way
The route crosses 2 firing zones, about 6 km of 103. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.
Firing zone 600km 9–10, 27–31Southern Command coordination center08-9902926
Firing zone 1000km 40–44, 45–46Southern 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Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date.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 0–22
North from Mitzpe Ramon
You leave the centre of Mitzpe Ramon, near Har HaGamal and the Mitzpe Asael lookout on the crater rim. Then north across a plateau between 750 and 900 m, crossing Nahal Zin and passing the Hemet cistern, an ancient water cistern that fills in winter. Further on you ride along Nahal Nitsana.
Along the way
km 1.4Har HaGamal, overlooking Makhtesh Ramon
km 1.9Mitzpe Asael, at the Har HaNegev field school
km 7.3Nahal Zin
km 11.9The Hemet cistern
km 13.4Upper Nahal Nitzana night campsite, with water, 1.2 km off the route
Resupply · km 0.1 Shufersal Sheli, Yellow and cafés and restaurants in Mitzpe Ramon. The last shop until the finish
02km 22–45
Borot Lotz and the Arod lookout
Borot Lotz has a night campsite with shelters, toilets and a water tap, and just after it you reach the route's highest point, almost 1,000 m. The Arod lookout looks over Makhtesh Ramon, and from there you descend along Nahal Arod to Har Iddo and Be'erot Oded.
Along the way
km 28.7A First Temple period farm
km 29.1Borot Lotz night campsite, water and toilets
km 35Arod lookout, over Makhtesh Ramon
km 39.7Har Iddo night campsite
km 44Be'erot Oded night campsite
Resupply · km 29.1 Water at the Borot Lotz campsite
03km 45–62
Nahal Nekarot and the Pitam gap
Here a long descent begins, from about 740 m to about 550, along Nahal Nekarot. On the way you pass near the Pitam gap and the Pitam desert kite, an ancient hunting trap.
Along the way
km 51.4Nahal Nekarot
km 55.1Pitam gap night campsite, 340 m off the route
km 57.5Pitam desert kite, 440 m off the route
04km 62–80
Into the crater
Along Nahal Ramon you enter the eastern part of the crater. The fault-line lookout, the Furnace monument and the mine lake lookout tell of the geology and the mines that worked here. At Be'erot there is a paid campsite, water and food.
Along the way
km 62.8Nahal Ramon
km 71.4Fault-line story lookout
km 72.1The Furnace monument
km 72.6Mine lake lookout
km 76.4Be'erot night campsite, paid
Resupply · km 76.4 Food at Be'erot, and water at km 76.5. The only resupply between Mitzpe Ramon and the finish
05km 80–92
Saharonim and Nahal Gvanim
The lowest part of the route, about 330 m, by Nahal Ardon and the Nekarot cave. From there on to Mezad Saharonim and Ein Saharonim, a seasonal spring, and to Nahal Gvanim, with a night campsite that has shelters carved into the red rock.
Along the way
km 80.7Nahal Ardon
km 82.7Nekarot cave
km 85.1Mezad Saharonim and Ein Saharonim
km 87.7Nahal Gvanim night campsite, no water
06km 92–103
Climbing to the crater rim
The finale is a climb of about 350 m from the crater floor to Mitzpe Ramon. On the way, a little off the route, are the Stone, Wind, Water site and the Vulture lookout. At the top the Desert Sculpture Park, the Barak and Amichai lookout and the Ilan Ramon Visitors' Center wait on the crater rim.
Along the way
km 95.8Stone, Wind, Water and the Vulture lookout, 370 m off the route
km 101.6The Desert Sculpture Park
km 102.4Barak and Amichai lookout and the Ilan Ramon Visitors' Center
km 103KKL grove night campsite, Mitzpe Ramon
Resupply · km 102.9 A fuel station and a grocery at the entrance to Mitzpe Ramon, at the end of the route
Where to sleep
To split it over two days, the Be'erot Oded campsite (km 44) or the Be'erot campsite (km 76), paid and with water and food. The Borot Lotz campsite (km 29) is the only campsite with water right on the route before the crater.
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 13.4With water
חניון לילה נחל ניצנה עילי1,230 m off the route
km 23.9Free
חניון לילה שידרית770 m off the route
km 29.1Water and toilets
חניון לילה בורות לוץ40 m off the route
km 39.7Free
חניון לילה הר עידו90 m off the route
km 44Halfway
חניון לילה בארות עודד100 m off the route · Free
km 55.1Halfway
חניון לילה מפער פיטם340 m off the route · Free
km 76.4Paid
חניון לילה בארות60 m off the route
km 87.7Free
חניון לילה נחל גוונים90 m off the route
km 87.7Free
חניון לילה נחל גוונים90 m off the route
km 87.7Free
חניון לילה נחל גוונים90 m off the route
km 92.9Free
חניון לילה גבס פנימי1,240 m off the route
km 103Free
חניון לילה חורשת קק"ל - מצפה רמון180 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 0–0.6
Yellow, Shufersal Sheli, Grocery13 cafés and restaurants
km 76.4
A café or restaurant
km 102.1–102.9
Delek, Grocery2 cafés and restaurants
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
Photos from the route
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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