Center · Loop

Jerusalem Pre

Kfar Menachem · Loop

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Mud forecast Built by Boaz Yoffe · mtb.yoffe.net

Distance 101 km

Total climbing 1,503 m

Highest point 774 m

Lowest point 75 m

Days 2 days

Difficulty Hard

Recommended months Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

A Longest Day loop from Kfar Menachem into the Judean foothills and hills and back: 101 km and 1,503 m of climbing, with a long first day and a short second one.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

774 m 77 m

0 km 20 km 40 km 61 km 81 km 101 km

Route story · Jerusalem Pre

From the Shephelah to the Jerusalem hills, and back

101 km in a loop from Kfar Menachem. You pass through the Ela valley and the Adulam grove, climb into the Jerusalem hills to almost 780 m near Tzur Hadassa, drop past the Stalactite Cave to Nahal Sorek and follow it back to the Shephelah. About 1,500 m of climbing, most of it in the first half, with water along almost the whole way.

Loop · Kfar Menachem2 daysMar–Jun, Sep–NovHard

101km

1,503m climbing

29.7km, longest stretch without fuel

3fuel stations within 200 m

8water taps along the way

11night campsites near the route

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The route at a glance

Fuel stationGrocery or supermarketWater tapNight campsite

01km ⁦0–23⁩

The Ela valley

You leave Kfar Menachem, at about 100 m, and ride east, past Haruvit Forest, to Nahal HaEla. For about ten kilometres the stream bed runs beside the route, up to the foot of Tel Azekah, with the David and Goliath lookout over the valley. At the end of the section a fuel station and a shop are waiting.

Along the way

km 5.9Haruvit Forest night campsite, 240 m off the route
km 8.9Nahal HaEla, until km 18
km 17.5Water near Zecharya
km 19.2Tel Azekah and the David and Goliath lookout, 340 m off the route

Resupply · km 21.9
Paz and Yellow, 90 m off the route. No fuel or shop until km 51.6

02km ⁦23–42⁩

The Adulam grove

You enter the Adulam grove reserve, an area full of antiquities: Horbat Midras with its pyramid, burial caves and a columbarium, then Tel Adullam and its caves, with a view north to the Ela valley. The route climbs gradually, from about 230 m to about 510 m.

Along the way

km 24.3Water near Sarigim
km 25.5Adulam Grove nature reserve, until km 28
km 26.6Horbat Midras and the Pyramid, 300–500 m off the route
km 34.7Tel Adullam, 270 m off the route
km 36.1Crossing Nahal HaEla again

Resupply · km 24.3
Water near Sarigim

03km ⁦42–60⁩

Climbing into the Jerusalem hills

The route's big climb, from about 510 m to almost 780 m. Through the Sansan reserve, past an old lime kiln and Har Sansan, to Tzur Hadassa, with a café and a fuel station. From there on to Ein Kobi, a spring with a rock-cut tunnel and a campsite with a water tap, and as far as Begin Park.

Along the way

km 42.2Sansan nature reserve
km 46.8A lime kiln
km 47.7Har Sansan, 745 m
km 53.8Ein Kobi night campsite, with a water tap
km 54.1Ein Kobi and its tunnel
km 58.8Begin Park night campsite, 100 m off the route

Resupply · km 51.6
Fuel station and Menta at Tzur Hadassa. A café at the Judean Mountains ranch, km 49.7

04km ⁦60–75⁩

Down to Nahal Sorek

From the Nes Harim picnic site, with water and toilets, you pass Har Yaala and the Mivtza HaHar lookout, then the big descent begins: about 400 m, past the Nahal Sorek reserve lookout and the Stalactite Cave, down to Nahal Sorek. At the end of the section you pass Beit Shemesh, with fuel and a shop.

Along the way

km 60.4Nes Harim Ktalav picnic site, water and toilets
km 61.3Nes Harim night campsite, 270 m off the route
km 65Har Yaala, a view to the Shephelah and the coastal plain
km 68.5The Stalactite Cave (Soreq Cave)
km 72.6Beit Shemesh train station, 240 m off the route, if you need to bail out

Resupply · km 73.5
Beit Shemesh: Paz and Yellow, 170 m off the route. The last resupply on the route

05km ⁦75–101⁩

Home along Nahal Sorek

From here the route is flat and gently downhill, along Nahal Sorek, past the old Ottoman railway station. You pass the Moshe Beiman rock picnic site and the Timna spring, with a small pool, near Tel Mikne and Tel Ekron, and return to Kfar Menachem.

Along the way

km 85.8The Ottoman Nahal Sorek railway station, 350 m off the route
km 88.2Moshe Beiman rock picnic site
km 92.2Timna spring, Ein Yuval
km 94.1Tel Ekron lookout, 290 m off the route

Where to sleep

To split it over two days, a long first day and a short second one: Ein Kobi (km 54), with a water tap, or one of the Nes Harim and Bar Giora campsites (km 59–61), near the water at the Ktalav picnic site.

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 4.9Free

חניון לילה יער עובדי בנק לאומי 630 m off the route

km 5.9Free

חניון לילה יער חרובית 240 m off the route

km 16.6Free

חניון לילה שריגים 860 m off the route

km 24.5Free

חניון לילה יער שריגים 980 m off the route

km 53.8Halfway

חניון לילה עין קובי 40 m off the route · Free

km 58.8Halfway

חניון לילה פארק בגין 100 m off the route · Free

km 60.7Free

חניון לילה נשות הדסה 170 m off the route

km 61Free

חניון לילה בר גיורא 230 m off the route

km 61.3Free

חניון לילה נס הרים 270 m off the route

km 65.7Free

חניון לילה יער העצמאות 550 m off the route

km 66.7Free

חניון לילה הרב גרשון וחנה הדס 670 m off the route

Where to refuel

Fuel stations, groceries and food within 200 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 21.9

Paz, Yellow

km 49.7

A café or restaurant

km 51.6

דלק

km 73.5

Paz, Yellow

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.

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.