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 Jish in the Upper Galilee via Nahal Kziv, the Western Galilee, Haifa, the Jezreel Valley and the Lower Galilee, back up Nahal Amud. The northern Milky Way: plenty of dirt roads, villages and springs.
261 km in a loop that starts and ends in Gish, in the Upper Galilee. You drop past Baram and down Nahal Kziv to the Western Galilee, pass Nahal Naaman and Haifa, cross the Jezreel Valley and the Lower Galilee, and climb back by Nahal Amud and Nahal Dalton. About 4,150 m of climbing, lots of dirt tracks, villages and springs.
Loop · Jish (Gush Halav)3–4 daysSep–JanHard
261km
4,150m climbing
70.4km, longest stretch without fuel
17fuel stations within 200 m
13water taps along the way
27night campsites near the route
Firing zones on the way
The route crosses one firing zone, about 2 km of 261. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.
Firing zone 110 אkm 195–198Northern Command coordination center073-3483007
Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date.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 0–30
Baram and Har Godrim
You leave Gish and drop to Nahal Tziv'on, past an Israel Trail library. Then through the Baram forest and the Baram national park, up through the Har Godrim reserve to about 815 m near Matat, and on through Fassuta to Nahal Sarakh.
Along the way
km 4.1Nahal Tziv'on and an Israel Trail library
km 6.8Kfar Baram, in the national park
km 12.2Har Godrim nature reserve
km 23.9Fassuta
km 25.9Nahal Sarakh
Resupply · km 0.2 Baladna café in Gish. After it, no fuel or grocery until km 70
02km 30–56
Nahal Kziv and Montfort
From the plateau you drop almost 500 m into the Nahal Kziv valley. The HaZeitim campsite, the Montfort viewpoint and the Montfort campsite, with water, then Avdon and Nahal Kziv itself. At the end of the section you pass the Kabri archaeological forest park, the Ein Zuf and Ein HaShayyara springs and the Yehiam convoy memorial.
Along the way
km 32.9HaZeitim night campsite
km 36Montfort viewpoint
km 36.1Montfort night campsite, with water
km 42.5Nahal Kziv
km 50.7Ein Zuf and Ein HaShayyara
km 51.7Yehiam convoy memorial
Resupply · km 36.1 Water at the Montfort campsite. No shop until km 70
03km 56–90
The plain and Nahal Naaman
Down onto the plain, almost at sea level, crossing Nahal Beit HaEmek, Nahal Yasaf and Nahal Hilazon, to the route's first fuel station at km 70. The Ein Afek reserve, by Tel Afek and the British guard post, has water, and from there you ride on to Kiryat Bialik and along Nahal Gdora.
Along the way
km 57.3Nahal Beit HaEmek
km 72.9Nahal Hilazon, until km 76
km 81.2Ein Afek nature reserve
km 82.3Water at Ein Afek
km 82.4The British guard post, an old flour mill
Resupply · km 70.4 Sonol, the first fuel on the route. Restaurants in Kiryat Bialik, km 89
04km 90–120
Haifa and the Carmel
You cross Nahal Kishon into Haifa. Ziv has restaurants, groceries and supermarkets close together, and from there you climb past Kir HaOrvim and the Tamar and Zeid lookouts to about 400 m on the Carmel. Then down to Nesher, along Nahal Katia and Ein Hanan, to Asif Corner, a rest spot for trail hikers where you can sleep.
Along the way
km 94.6Nahal Kishon
km 105.1Kir HaOrvim
km 108.1Tamar lookout
km 109.7Tlalim night campsite, water and toilets, 460 m off the route
km 113.6Ein Hanan
km 119.9Asif Corner, water and room to sleep
Resupply · km 104.6 Ziv: restaurants, groceries and Shufersal. Sonol 24/7 and Shufersal at km 109
05km 120–160
The Jezreel Valley
From Yagur you head into the valley along Nahal Kishon. The restored Elroi railway station has water, and then you ride on through Kiryat Haroshet and past Tel Kashish, near Sde Yaakov and Ramat Yishai, along Nahal Zippori to the Ya'ar HaSolelim reserve.
Along the way
km 122.5Nahal Kishon, until km 130
km 127.4The restored Elroi railway station, water
km 130Tel Kashish
km 146.8Nahal Zippori, until km 151
km 151.4Tzippori forest night campsite, 460 m off the route
km 154.5Ya'ar HaSolelim nature reserve
Resupply · km 129.4 Atnachta, coffee and pastries in Kiryat Haroshet. A fuel station at km 144.9
06km 160–200
The Lower Galilee and Nahal Tzalmon
North into the Lower Galilee: ancient cup marks, Horvat Kana and a climb to about 480 m near the Har Achim campsite. Then past Ein Moresan and the Dir Hana pool, and down along Nahal Tzalmon, by the Har HaKotz reserve, to about 60 m below sea level.
Along the way
km 162.9Ancient cup marks
km 169.1Har Achim night campsite
km 171.7Ein Moresan
km 179.8The Dir Hana pool, in the wet season
km 182.3Nahal Tzalmon
km 199.6Ein Hukok
Resupply · km 172.5 Paz, 120 m off the route. Sonol at km 184.5
07km 200–235
Nahal Amud and Amiad
From Ein Hukok you continue to Nahal Amud, with the fenced lower Nahal Amud campsite and its water tap right by the route. Then up to Amiad, with a fuel station and restaurants, and past small springs, Ein Shemen and Ein Dvir, to Horvat Sakhar.
Along the way
km 205.4Nahal Amud
km 206.3Lower Nahal Amud campsite, water tap
km 207.9Nahal Akbara
km 220.7Ein Shemen
km 222.1Ein Dvir
Resupply · km 217.9 Amiad: Dor Alon, Aroma and McDonald's. Fuel also at km 234.4
08km 235–261
Nahal Dalton and the climb home
At Ein Yarda you drop into Nahal Mahanayim, and near Mahanayim there are restaurants and fuel stations. Then the long climb home begins, almost 650 m: Mitzpe Chen above the Hula Valley, the Nahal Dalton reserve and the Avi Vigder lookout, Ein Nevoraya and Ein Gever, past Har Koter and Kaddita, back to Gish at more than 800 m.
Along the way
km 238.6Ein Yarda in Nahal Mahanayim
km 248Mitzpe Chen, a view over the Hula Valley, the Golan and Hermon
km 251.8Avi Vigder lookout, above Nahal Dalton
km 252.2Ein Nevoraya
km 254.4Ein Gever
Resupply · km 242.5 Near Mahanayim: fuel, a small mall and restaurants. The Beit HaTzayad restaurant in Gish, km 260.8
Where to sleep
Over three days: Tlalim or Kalaniyot on the Carmel (km 110, water and toilets, about 450 m off the route) and Har Achim (km 169). For shorter days, add the Montfort campsite (km 36).
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 29Free
חניון לילה מצד אבירים480 m off the route
km 32.9Free
חניון לילה הזיתים10 m off the route
km 35Free
חניון לילה פארק גורן330 m off the route
km 36.1Free
חניון לילה המונפורט50 m off the route
km 43.4Free
חניון לילה עין חרדלית410 m off the route
km 109.4Halfway
חניון לילה אורנים 2430 m off the route · Free
km 109.7Halfway
חניון לילה טללים460 m off the route · Water and toilets
km 110.5Halfway
חניון לילה אורנים390 m off the route · Free
km 110.9Halfway
חניון לילה כלניות430 m off the route · Water and toilets
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 0.2
A café or restaurant
km 70.4
Sonol
km 82.3
Grocery
km 86.7
A café or restaurant
km 88.7–89
Nitzat OrganicStore6 cafés and restaurants
km 98.9–99.724/7
Paz, deZol, TapuzA café or restaurant
km 100.2–100.9
Ten, Shufersal Deal Extra, Boom2 cafés and restaurants
km 103.5–104.5
Sonol, Grocery2 cafés and restaurants
km 104.6–105.424/7
Drugstore Rodi's, Shemo, Ziv +410 cafés and restaurants
km 106–106.1
Mega Ba'Ir2 cafés and restaurants
km 109–109.624/7
Sonol, SoGood, Shufersal3 cafés and restaurants
km 110.5–111
Markol Zol2 cafés and restaurants
km 113.2
Grocery
km 116.6
2 cafés and restaurants
km 118.2
Sonol ×2
km 119.9–120.1
2 cafés and restaurants
km 129.4
A café or restaurant
km 144.9
Fuel station
km 172.5
Paz
km 184.5
Sonol
km 217.9
Dor Alon2 cafés and restaurants
km 219.5
Fuel stationA café or restaurant
km 234.4
Delek
km 242.5–242.7
בטר פלייס, Delek, Grocery5 cafés and restaurants
km 260.5–260.8
2 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.
An Israeli maker of sealant, lubes and repair kits. They built a full bikepacking repair kit with us: everything you need so a flat never ends your ride.
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.
An Israeli company making quality glasses at fair prices. Protection from sun, dust and wind over long days on the trail, and 20% off for the community.
