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.
Hills, badlands and stream beds in the western Negev
171 km in a loop that starts and finishes near Kibbutz Lahav. You drop from the Lahav hills to Nahal Shikma and the Ruhama badlands, ride between forests and loess plains to Be'eri, follow Nahal HaBsor and Nahal Grar, and return with a gradual climb to Lahav. A long and relatively gentle route, with stream beds, ancient mounds and forests.
Loop · Lahav2 daysSep–FebModerate
171km
1,586m climbing
81.3km, longest stretch without fuel
3fuel stations within 200 m
4water taps along the way
7night campsites near the route
Between Sonol at km 68.9 and Beit Kama at km 150.2 there is no fuel, shop or food, 81 km. Along the way there is water only at km 89.3, 93.1 and 129.1.
Firing zones on the way
The route crosses 2 firing zones, about 9 km of 171. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.
Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date.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 0–25
From Lahav to Nahal Shikma
You set off at about 450 m, through the Lahav North reserve, and drop about 250 m to Nahal Shikma. A fuel station and a shop, both open 24/7, sit right on the route. Then on along Nahal Shikma and Nahal Pura, past the remains of a Turkish bridge and Tel Nagila.
Along the way
km 1.8Lahav North nature reserve
km 3.8Horbat Za'aq and an ancient olive press, 200 m off the route
km 17.7Nahal Shikma, until km 23
km 21.7Pura nature reserve
km 22.8Remains of a Turkish bridge
km 23.6Tel Nagila, 130 m off the route
Resupply · km 17.5 Paz and Yellow, both open 24/7
02km 25–55
The Ruhama badlands and Dorot
Along Nahal Sad, past an Israel Trail library, to the Ruhama badlands, with a lookout and the lone tree. Then the route passes between Dorot and Tel Shega, near the Booster, a pump house from the first water line to the Negev, and reaches Nir Moshe forest, with water and a campsite.
Along the way
km 26.1Israel Trail library, Nahal Sad
km 29Ruhama badlands lookout
km 30.9The lone tree, 190 m off the route
km 41.3The Booster, from the first water line to the Negev, 500 m off the route
km 43Orly lookout, 150 m off the route
km 53.2Nir Moshe forest night campsite
Resupply · km 52.8 Water in Nir Moshe forest
03km 55–90
Sa'ad and Be'eri
Past Yakhini and Nahal Hanun to Sa'ad, near the Nahal Oz reservoir and Mitzpe Rene. Then past old Be'erot Yitzhak and through the Makhtesh Be'eri reserve, on to old Be'eri and the Badlands lookout, and down to Nahal Shuva and Be'er Antilia, an ancient well with a sitting area.
Along the way
km 68.5Jonatan Vermeulen night campsite, 380 m off the route
km 71.1Mitzpe Rene, Sa'ad
km 75.8Makhtesh Be'eri nature reserve
km 84.6The Badlands lookout, 280 m off the route
km 89.3Be'er Antilia, water and a sitting area
Resupply · km 68.9 Sonol by Sa'ad. No fuel or food until km 150.2
04km 90–125
Nahal HaBsor
From the Re'im campsite, with water, you drop to Nahal HaBsor, the route's lowest point, below 60 m. You follow the stream bed for about ten kilometres, past Tel Gamma and Be'er HaDkalim, inside the Nahal HaBsor reserve. From there on east, across Nahal Patish, to Nahal Grar.
Along the way
km 93.1Re'im night campsite, with water, 60 m off the route
km 98.1Nahal HaBsor, until km 107
km 99.5Tel Gamma, 180 m off the route
km 102.8Be'er HaDkalim, a well house and pool
km 103.8Nahal HaBsor reserve, Watercourse Park
km 116.4Nahal Patish
Resupply · km 93.1 Water at the Re'im campsite
05km 125–151
Nahal Grar
Along Nahal Grar, past Tel Haror and Sharsheret Park, with water and a campsite, then near Tel Sera. The route starts to climb slowly, along Nahal Kama, and at the end of the section you reach Beit Kama, with a fuel station and restaurants.
Along the way
km 125.6Nahal Grar, until km 139
km 128Tel Haror
km 129.1Sharsheret Park night campsite, with water, 380 m off the route
km 139.4Tel Sera, 180 m off the route
km 143Nahal Kama
Resupply · km 150.2 Beit Kama: Paz, a 24/7 Yellow, Aroma and McDonald's
06km 151–171
The climb back to Lahav
The last section climbs almost 300 m, along Nahal Shoval, Nahal Tsiklag and Nahal Tillah, into the Lahav hills. On the way you pass Hurvat Abu Hof, a Byzantine settlement with an ancient well, and finally Hurvat Rimon, with the remains of an ancient synagogue and ritual bath, just before the finish.
Along the way
km 156.8Nahal Shoval
km 163.8Hurvat Abu Hof, 290 m off the route
km 164.1Be'er Abu Hof well
km 167.6Donald Allen Carl lookout, 440 m off the route
km 168.8Lahav night campsite, 180 m off the route
km 170.1Hurvat Rimon, an ancient synagogue
Where to sleep
To split it over two days, the Re'im campsite (km 93), with water, is close to halfway. Over three days, Nir Moshe forest (km 53) and Sharsheret Park (km 129), both with water.
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 53.2Free
חניון לילה יער ניר משה20 m off the route
km 68.5Halfway
חניון לילה יונתן ורמולן380 m off the route · Free
km 87.6Halfway
חניון לילה יער שוקדה940 m off the route · Free
km 93.1Halfway
חניון לילה רעים60 m off the route · Free
km 129.1Free
חניון לילה פארק שרשרת380 m off the route
km 129.5Free
פארק נחל גרר350 m off the route
km 168.8Free
חניון לילה להב180 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 17.4–17.524/7
Paz, Yellow
km 68.9
Sonol
km 150.224/7
Paz6 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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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.
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