North · Loop

Sea To Summit

Atlit · 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 109 km

Total climbing 1,873 m

Highest point 333 m

Lowest point 1 m

Days 2 days

Difficulty Hard

Recommended months Oct–Feb

From the sea up to the Menashe Heights and back, from Atlit. Climb from the coast through Nahal Me'arot and Ofer Forest to the springs of the Menashe Heights, up to about 330 m near Megiddo, and glide back to the sea.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

327 m 2 m

0 km 22 km 44 km 65 km 87 km 109 km

Route story · Sea To Summit

From the coast at Atlit to Tel Megiddo and back

109 km and almost 1,900 m of climbing, in a loop from Atlit. You leave sea level for the Nahal Me'arot caves and Ofer Forest, climb through Bat Shlomo and the springs of the Menashe Heights to the route's highest point, about 330 m, near Megiddo, and return past Nahal Gahar, Nahal Shelef and Ein Mecholelim to the sea. A long, stepped climb, and a glide back to the coast.

Loop · Atlit2 daysOct–FebHard

109km

1,873m climbing

61.5km, longest stretch without fuel

2fuel stations within 200 m

11water taps along the way

7night campsites near the route

There is no fuel station or shop in the first 61 km, until Megiddo, and no water point between km 4.1 and km 54.8. There is food at Bat Shlomo (km 18.7).

Firing zones on the way

The route crosses 3 firing zones, about 10 km of 109. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.

Firing zone 112 km 20–22, 86–88 Fire-zone ops room 04-9538506
Firing zone 107 km 34–36, 37–40, 44–45, 46–51 Fire-zone ops room 04-6125212
Firing zone 104 km 96–97 Fire-zone ops room 04-9538506

Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date.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 ⁦0–20⁩

Nahal Me'arot and Ofer Forest

You leave Atlit, at sea level, for the Nahal Me'arot caves at the foot of the Carmel: the Tanur, Gamal and Nahal caves. Then you climb into Ofer Forest, past the Ataturk forest and the observation tower, and drop to Bat Shlomo.

Along the way

km 4.2The Nahal Me'arot caves
km 4.1Water by the caves
km 6.6The Ataturk forest
km 7Ofer Forest observation tower, 320 m off the route
km 8.5HaZeitim picnic site

Resupply · km 18.7
Bat Shlomo: Ha'chenvania and the Schwartzman dairy

02km ⁦20–42⁩

The springs of the Menashe Heights

From Bat Shlomo you climb about 270 m onto the Menashe Heights, between small springs: Ein Hedva, Ein Soker by the Ramot Menashe reservoir, Ein Nili and Ein Betem. At the end of the section Ein Kfar, below the ruins of the village of al-Kafrin.

Along the way

km 26.1Ein Soker
km 27.2Alonei Gilad night campsite, 690 m off the route
km 29.3Ein Nili, a small, shaded spring
km 35.7Ein Betem
km 40Ein Kfar

03km ⁦42–62⁩

The summit and Tel Megiddo

After Beit Ras, a hill that dominated the area in the War of Independence, you reach the route's highest point, about 330 m. From there you descend to Nahal Keini, Einot Lagio and the remains of al-Lajjun, and ride around Tel Megiddo, with its Canaanite temples, palaces and gates and its ancient water system.

Along the way

km 42.6Beit Ras, 450 m off the route
km 51.9Einot Lagio, a pool in Nahal Keini
km 52The remains of al-Lajjun
km 56.4Water by Pinat Amir
km 60.1Tel Megiddo national park

Resupply · km 61.5
Paz and Yellow, the only shop on the route

04km ⁦62–85⁩

Nahal Gahar and Nahal Shelef

You head back west past Midrach Oz and Tel Bar to the springs of the Menashe Heights: Ein Shekhar in Nahal Gahar, the Zehora dams and the Joara museum, then Nahal Shelef, with Ein Shelef, Ein Dmumit and an old flour mill. At the end of the section Ein Mecholelim, a pool in a eucalyptus grove.

Along the way

km 69Andartat HaKibbutzim night campsite
km 73.2Nahal Gahar night campsite, by Ein Shekhar
km 74.3The Zehora dams, water
km 78.8Mei Dmumit and Ein Shelef
km 79.6An old flour mill
km 81.6Ein Mecholelim

Resupply · km 75.4
HaChalutzot, near Ein HaShofet

05km ⁦85–109⁩

Gliding back to the sea

Through the Mount Horshan reserve you return to Ofer Forest, with two campsites and water, and from there you drop about 160 m to the coastal plain and back to Atlit.

Along the way

km 85.9Ein Til, a pool formed by a missile strike, 310 m off the route
km 88.2Mount Horshan nature reserve
km 98.6KKL offices night campsite, with water
km 100.8Ofer Forest night campsite, 430 m off the route

Resupply · km 105.8
Dor Alon, just before the finish

Where to sleep

Over two days, the Andartat HaKibbutzim (km 69) or Nahal Gahar (km 73) campsites, among the springs of the Menashe Heights. For an earlier split, Alonei Gilad (km 27), 690 m off the route.

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 27.2Free

חניון לילה אלוני גלעד 690 m off the route

km 34.7Free

חניון לילה גלעד 840 m off the route

km 69Free

חניון לילה אנדרטת הקיבוצים 0 m off the route

km 73.2Free

חניון לילה נחל גחר 50 m off the route

km 79.4Free

חניון לילה דליה 1,260 m off the route

km 98.6Free

חניון לילה משרדי קק"ל 10 m off the route

km 100.8Free

חניון לילה יער עופר 430 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 ⁦18.7–19.1⁩

2 cafés and restaurants

km 60.3

A café or restaurant

km 61.5

Paz, Yellow

km 75.4

A café or restaurant

km 105.8

Dor Alon

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.