Center · Loop

South And Back

Latrun · 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 294 km

Total climbing 3,365 m

Highest point 414 m

Lowest point 10 m

Days 3–4 days

Difficulty Moderate

Recommended months Sep–Jan

A loop from Latrun south into the Judean Shfela and northern Negev and back. Fields, KKL forests and ancient tells, at a fairly comfortable pace.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

402 m 13 m

0 km 59 km 118 km 176 km 235 km 294 km

Route story · South And Back

South to the Besor, and back to Latrun

294 km and about 3,400 m of climbing in a loop from Latrun and back. You head down through the Ayalon valley, Tel Gezer and Nahal Sorek into the Judean lowlands, carry on past Netivot and Be'eri to Nahal HaBsor, and return north via Beit Kama, Gva'ot Gad, Beit Loya and Adullam. Fields, forests and ancient tels, at a fairly easy pace but with long stretches without services.

Loop · Latrun3–4 daysSep–JanModerate

294km

3,365m climbing

117.5km, longest stretch without fuel

7fuel stations within 200 m (300 m in the desert)

5water taps along the way

23night campsites near the route

There is no fuel or shop between Mishmar Ayalon (km 7) and Netivot (km 117.5). Marked water points are only at km 135, 141, 166, 283 and 294: the first 134 km have no marked water at all, and between km 166 and 283 you refill only at the fuel stations and shops on the way, at km 195, 216–220, 274 and 282.

Firing zones on the way

The route crosses 2 firing zones, about 28 km of 294. Entering a firing zone requires advance coordination and approval, and zones can be closed on weekends and holidays too.

Firing zone 309 ג km 68–73, 222–234 Coordination centers →
Firing zone 309 א km 239–252 Coordination centers →

Boundaries from OpenStreetMap (source: IDF) and may be out of date.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 ⁦0–35⁩

The Ayalon valley and Tel Gezer

You leave Latrun, by Yad LaShiryon, for the Ayalon reservoir lookout and Ein Yered, a small pool by a reed thicket. From there you pass Tel Gezer and Mitzpe Tal, cross Nahal Sorek by the old Ottoman railway station, and ride on along Nahal Timna and past Tel Ekron.

Along the way

km 4.8Ayalon reservoir lookout
km 10.3Ein Yered
km 11.4Tel Gezer national park, 380 m off the route
km 19.9The Ottoman-era Nahal Sorek railway station, 320 m off the route
km 27.6Tel Ekron lookout, 260 m off the route
km 34.5Kiryat Mal'akhi–Yoav train station, 230 m off the route, if you need to bail out

Resupply · km 7.2
A grocery at Mishmar Ayalon. The last shop until Netivot, at km 117.5

02km ⁦35–72⁩

The Judean lowlands and the Samakh caves

South through the lowlands, you cross Nahal HaEla by the Tel Tsafit national park, then Nahal Guvrin and Nahal Lakhish. The route climbs gradually to about 250 m, to the Samakh caves national park, with its bell caves, and past the Ramat Shiryon reservoir.

Along the way

km 39.3Nahal HaEla
km 40.5Tel Tsafit national park
km 56.2Nahal Lakhish
km 63.9The Samakh caves, bell caves
km 71.2The Maahaz outpost

03km ⁦72–112⁩

Into the western Negev

You descend from the lowlands along Nahal Adorayim and Nahal Shikma, past Tel Keshet and Tel Shekef. Further on you pass Hurvat Marshan, with benches and a view, Dorot and the Nir Moshe forest, and reach Nahal Hanun.

Along the way

km 78.9Tel Keshet
km 82.5Nahal Shikma
km 92.5Hurvat Marshan, 290 m off the route
km 101.2Nir Moshe forest night campsite, 780 m off the route
km 108.9Nahal Hanun

04km ⁦112–150⁩

Netivot and Be'eri

In Netivot, near the Tomb of the Baba Sali, is the route's first fuel station. From there you ride along Nahal Bohu to Be'er Antilia, a deep Byzantine well, and on to Be'eri, with the founders' grove and the Old Be'eri lookout. At the end of the section you pass the British bunkers and Nahal Grar.

Along the way

km 115.2Tomb of the Baba Sali, 380 m off the route
km 134.9Be'er Antilia, water
km 140.9Founders' grove at Be'eri, water
km 145.9British bunkers from the Second World War
km 149.5Nahal Grar

Resupply · km 117.5
A fuel station in Netivot, and Smoke Talk at km 118.2. Food near Be'eri at km 137.8

05km ⁦150–190⁩

Nahal HaBsor

The heart of the route: along Nahal HaBsor, the big wadi of the western Negev. You pass Tel Gamma and Be'er HaDkalim, ride through the Nahal HaBsor reserve and reach Eshkol Park, with Ein Bsor, a night campsite and the old railway bridge. From there you carry on along Nahal Ofakim to the Patish fortress.

Along the way

km 151.2Nahal HaBsor
km 155.5Be'er HaDkalim, a well house and pool
km 164.9HaBsor night campsite, paid, in Eshkol Park
km 166.1The old railway bridge
km 188.7Patish fortress, 240 m off the route

Resupply · km 166.2
Water by the old railway bridge

06km ⁦190–228⁩

Ofakim and Beit Kama

From Ofakim you head north-east, past Gilat, along Nahal Grar and Nahal Kama. At the Beit Kama junction the big service hub of the second half is waiting, with fuel, a 24/7 Yellow and restaurants. After it you pass Tel Milha, Nahal Shikma and the Kelah caves.

Along the way

km 190.3Ofakim train station, 410 m off the route, if you need to bail out
km 203.4Nahal Grar
km 209.4Nahal Kama
km 219.2Tel Milha
km 226The Kelah caves

Resupply · km 216.2
Beit Kama junction: a 24/7 Yellow, Aroma, McDonald's and more. Another 24/7 Paz and Yellow at km 219.8. Fuel also at km 195.3

07km ⁦228–262⁩

Gva'ot Gad and Beit Loya

Back into the lowlands, through the Gva'ot Gad and Mizrah Lachish reserves. At Horbat Beit Loya there is a Byzantine church with a large mosaic, and from there the route climbs, past Horbat Yonim and Horbat Qerumit, to its highest point, about 410 m. At the end of the section you pass Hurvat Adulam.

Along the way

km 229.6Gva'ot Gad nature reserve
km 237.9Mizrah Lachish nature reserve
km 243.7The Byzantine church at Beit Loya
km 254.3Horbat Yonim, 260 m off the route
km 261.6Hurvat Adulam

08km ⁦262–294⁩

The Ela valley, Kisalon and Latrun

You cross Nahal HaEla and the small streams after it, past an ancient olive press, and drop to Nahal Sorek and Nahal Kisalon. By Eshtaol a string of night campsites and lookouts begins, the Shiri lookout and HaMirpeset, and from there you ride via Neve Shalom and the Nahal Nachshon reserve back to Latrun.

Along the way

km 262.5Nahal HaEla
km 278.5Nahal Sorek
km 283.7HaZeitim Eshtaol night campsite
km 285.6Shiri lookout
km 285.8HaMirpeset night campsite
km 291.2Latrun night campsite

Resupply · km 282
Sonol and Aroma. Dor Alon at the finish, km 293.8

Where to sleep

Over three days, for example: the Nir Moshe forest (km 101, 780 m off the route) and the HaBsor campsite (km 165, paid). Ofakim Park (km 189, 990 m off the route) is another option. Between km 190 and 281 there is no campsite close to 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 4.7Free

אנדרטת חללי הלח"י 190 m off the route

km 162.1Halfway

חניון לילה יעקב הררי 520 m off the route · Free

km 164.9Halfway

חניון לילה הבשור 170 m off the route · Paid

km 281.7Free

חניון לילה רולי וז'ק 310 m off the route

km 283.7Free

חניון לילה הזיתים אשתאול 0 m off the route

km 284.6Free

חניון לילה נח ורוזה פורמן 10 m off the route

km 285.8Free

חניון לילה המרפסת 20 m off the route

km 286.5Free

חניון הדק 110 m off the route

km 289.4Free

חניון לילה התאנים 270 m off the route

km 289.5Free

חניון לילה דרך בורמה2 550 m off the route

km 290.5Free

חניון לילה איביי נתן 0 m off the route

km 291.2Free

חניון לילה לטרון 50 m off the route

+11 more on the map

Where to refuel

Fuel stations, groceries and food within 200 m of the route (300 m in the desert). 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 7.2

Grocery

km ⁦117.5–118.2⁩

Delek, Smoke talk

km 137.8

A café or restaurant

km 195.3

Fuel station

km ⁦215.5–216.2⁩24/7

Paz 6 cafés and restaurants

km 219.824/7

Paz, Yellow

km 273.8

Fuel station

km 282

Sonol A café or restaurant

km ⁦293.8–294⁩

Dor Alon A café or restaurant

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.