North · Loop

Jordan River

Afula · Loop

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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.

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

Distance 96 km

Total climbing 1,973 m

Highest point 295 m

Lowest point -236 m

Days 2 days

Difficulty Hard

Recommended months Apr–Feb

A loop from Afula to the Jordan Valley and the Jordan River. Fields, orchards and the Gilead mountains to the east.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

289 m -235 m

0 km 19 km 38 km 58 km 77 km 96 km

Route story · Jordan River

From Afula to the Jordan and back

96 km and almost 2,000 m of climbing on a loop that starts and ends in Afula. You pass Sulam and Gazit, drop into the Jordan Valley and ride along the river to Tzemach, climb Nahal Yavneel and return through Kfar Tavor. Fields, orchards, springs, and a descent and a climb of about 500 m each.

Loop · Afula2 daysApr–FebHard

96km

1,973m climbing

50km, longest stretch without fuel

3fuel stations within 200 m

1water tap along the way

1night campsite near the route

Firing zones on the way

The route crosses one firing zone, about 2 km of 96. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.

Firing zone 106 km 8–11 Northern Command coordination center 073-3483007

Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date.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

From Afula to Gazit

You leave Afula, cross Nahal Harod and pass Sulam, at the foot of Givat HaMoreh. Then east between fields and orchards, at 40 to 200 m, to Gazit.

Along the way

km 1.7Nahal Harod
km 5.4Sulam
km 5.7Givat HaMoreh night campsite, 1.9 km off the route
km 17.3Horbat Tomer, 410 m off the route
km 22Gazit

Resupply · km 0.8
Super Park on the way out of Afula, and a restaurant in Sulam at km 5.2. After that no shop until Tzemach, km 50

02km ⁦22–40⁩

Down to the Jordan

From Gazit you pass Tel Rekhesh, identified with the Canaanite city of Anaharath, and Ein Rekhesh, a shallow, clean pool. After the section's high point, about 280 m, the big descent begins: almost 480 m, to about 200 m below sea level in the Jordan Valley.

Along the way

km 22.9Water point
km 25.7Tel Rekhesh
km 26.6Ein Rekhesh, a shallow pool
km 34.5Noach Kinarty lookout, 310 m off the route
km 38.7Tel Shaharit

Resupply · km 22.9
Water at km 22.9, the only water point on the route

03km ⁦40–54⁩

Along the Jordan River

You meet the Jordan and ride north along it, past Beit Zera, to Tzemach at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. This is the route's service hub, with a 24/7 fuel station, supermarkets and restaurants. Then on past Deganya Alef to the Hayardenit campsite.

Along the way

km 40.7The Jordan River
km 47.6Beit Zera, 310 m off the route
km 50.1Tzemach beach
km 50.9A Syrian tank
km 52.8Hayardenit night campsite

Resupply · km 50
Tzemach: Paz 24/7, Victory, Yellow, Aroma and restaurants

04km ⁦54–72⁩

Climbing Nahal Yavneel

You head back west through the Nahal Yavneel nature reserve and climb almost 500 m, from about 200 m below sea level to about 300 m. Small springs line the way, Ein Yavne'el and Ein Hadda, and Tel Ein Hadda. At the end of the section, Ma'ayan HaHamisha, with a picnic spot.

Along the way

km 54.5Nahal Yavneel nature reserve
km 62.8Ein Yavne'el
km 64.4Ein Hadda, 330 m off the route
km 64.9Tel Ein Hadda gate
km 71.4Ma'ayan HaHamisha and a picnic spot

05km ⁦72–96⁩

Kfar Tavor and the way back

Through Shadmot Dvora you reach Kfar Tavor, with cafés, a grocery and a fuel station, and the Marzipan Museum right by the route. Then along Nahal Tavor, past Ein Qishyon, through Dovrat and back to Afula.

Along the way

km 73.7Shadmot Dvora
km 75.9The Marzipan Museum
km 79Nahal Tavor
km 81.8Ein Qishyon
km 95.7Kfir Brigade memorial

Resupply · km 76.8
Kfar Tavor: Paz, a grocery and cafés. Delek at km 88

Where to sleep

To split it over two days, the Hayardenit night campsite at km 52.8, just past halfway and after the Tzemach services. Tzemach beach, at km 50.1, is another option.

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 52.8Halfway

חניון לילה הירדנית 30 m off the route · Free

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 ⁦0–0.8⁩

Super Park 3 cafés and restaurants

km 5.2

A café or restaurant

km ⁦49.9–50.1⁩24/7

Paz, Victory, Yellow 6 cafés and restaurants

km ⁦51–51.9⁩

Grocery ×2 A café or restaurant

km ⁦76–76.8⁩

Paz, Grocery 3 cafés and restaurants

km 88

Delek

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.