Center · Loop

Strawberry

Latrun · Loop

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

Distance 118 km

Total climbing 1,226 m

Highest point 347 m

Lowest point 66 m

Days 2 days

Difficulty Moderate

Recommended months Sep–Feb

A loop from Latrun through the Judean Shfela, via Karmei Yosef, Tel Gezer, the Elah valley and Beit Guvrin, and back along Nahal Sorek. Fields, forests and tells, and two pleasant days not far from the centre.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

341 m 67 m

0 km 24 km 47 km 71 km 94 km 118 km

Route story · Strawberry

Tels, forests and fields in the Shephelah

118 km in a loop that starts and ends at Latrun, by Nahal Nachshon. You pass Karmei Yosef and Tel Gezer, the President's Forest and Beit Shemesh, the Ela Valley and Beit Guvrin, and reach Tel Lakhish before heading back north along Nahal Sorek. About 1,200 m of gentle climbing, fields, forests and ancient mounds, not far from the centre of the country.

Loop · Latrun2 daysSep–FebModerate

118km

1,226m climbing

42.2km, longest stretch without fuel

9fuel stations within 200 m

8water taps along the way

16night campsites near the route

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The route at a glance

Fuel stationGrocery or supermarketWater tapNight campsite

01km ⁦0–20⁩

From Latrun to Tel Gezer

You leave Latrun, past the old detention camp, along Nahal Nachshon and between fields. Karmei Yosef has a hummus place, and right after it comes the Tel Gezer national park, with the Canaanite gate, Solomon's gate and the ten standing stones, right on the route.

Along the way

km 1.7The Latrun detention camp
km 11.4Water at Karmei Yosef
km 13.8The Canaanite gate, Tel Gezer
km 14.1Solomon's gate, Tel Gezer
km 14.3The ten standing stones
km 17.2Water point

Resupply · km 11.4
Zarzir Humus, Karmei Yosef

02km ⁦20–40⁩

The President's Forest and Beit Shemesh

You climb into the forests around Eshta'ol: Nahal Harel, the Battalion 184 campsite, the President's Forest campsite right by the route and the Shiri lookout, up to about 290 m. Then down along Nahal Kisalon and Nahal Sorek to Beit Shemesh, past Tel Beit Shemesh and on to Ein Dekalim.

Along the way

km 24.9Nahal Harel
km 29.4President's Forest night campsite
km 29.8The Balcony and the Shiri lookout, 450 m off the route
km 31.6Nahal Kisalon
km 33.9Beit Shemesh station, 320 m off the route, if you need to bail out
km 37.2Water by Ein Dekalim

Resupply · km 34.4
Beit Shemesh: Paz, Yellow, McDonald's and Aroma, about 180 m off the route. Fuel and a grocery also at km 21.4

03km ⁦40–65⁩

The Ela Valley and Beit Guvrin

Along Nahal HaEla for almost ten kilometres, to Khirbet Qeiyafa with its western and southern gates. After Sarigim you enter the Adulam Grove reserve and climb to the route's highest point, about 350 m, then drop between burial caves and a columbarium to the Beit Guvrin national park.

Along the way

km 42.5Nahal HaEla, until km 51
km 47.8Khirbet Qeiyafa
km 53.9Water at Sarigim
km 55.4Adulam Grove nature reserve
km 59.9A columbarium and burial caves
km 63The amphitheatre, Beit Guvrin

Resupply · km 44.3
Paz and Yellow, right on the route. Delek at Beit Guvrin, km 63.3, the last fuel until Yesodot, km 105

04km ⁦65–90⁩

Tel Lakhish

South along Nahal Lakhish to the Tel Lakhish national park, with the Assyrian siege ramp, the palace and a campsite with water right on the route. By the mound sit Bustan Ron and an Israel Trail library, and from there the route drops gently, along Nahal Lakhish and Nahal Guvrin, to about 120 m.

Along the way

km 70Nahal Lakhish
km 73.3Tel Lakhish night campsite, on the route, water at km 73.2
km 73.3The Assyrian siege ramp
km 74.4Bustan Ron and an Israel Trail library, 200 m off the route
km 83.8Nahal Guvrin

Resupply · km 75.6
Hummus Duee. After it, no shop or fuel until Yesodot, km 105

05km ⁦90–118⁩

Nahal Sorek and back to Latrun

North past Nahal HaEla and Nahal Barkai, near the Kiryat Malachi–Yoav station, to Ma'ayan Timna, a small dipping pool with benches. Then along Nahal Sorek, past a locomotive and carriages set by the old Ottoman railway station, and back to Latrun and Yad La'Shiryon.

Along the way

km 96.7Kiryat Malachi–Yoav station, if you need to bail out
km 101Ma'ayan Timna, a dipping pool
km 104.9Water by Nahal Sorek
km 106.7A locomotive and carriages by the Nahal Sorek station
km 117.9Yad La'Shiryon, Latrun

Resupply · km 105.5
Yesodot: Dor Alon and Alonit, 100 m off the route. Dor Alon and Asa at Latrun, at the finish

Where to sleep

To split it over two days, the Tel Lakhish campsite (km 73), right on the route and with water. An earlier option is the President's Forest (km 29).

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 27.8Free

חניון לילה גדוד 184 300 m off the route

km 29.2Free

חניון הדק 1,100 m off the route

km 29.4Free

חניון לילה יער הנשיא 50 m off the route

km 29.8Free

חניון לילה המרפסת 480 m off the route

km 29.9Free

חניון לילה נח ורוזה פורמן 940 m off the route

km 30Free

חניון לילה הזיתים אשתאול 770 m off the route

km 30.4Free

חניון לילה יער צרעה 1,150 m off the route

km 31.3Free

חניון לילה רולי וז'ק 940 m off the route

km 54.5Halfway

חניון לילה יער שריגים 870 m off the route · Free

km 73.3Free

חניון לילה תל לכיש 0 m off the route

km 78.2Free

חניון לילה מגדל התצפית 1,030 m off the route

km 78.4Free

חניון לילה אינגרם (יער המלאכים) 440 m off the route

+4 more on the map

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 ⁦10.9–11.4⁩

2 cafés and restaurants

km 21.4

Delek, Grocery

km ⁦27–27.3⁩

Sonol A café or restaurant

km ⁦34.2–34.4⁩

Paz, Dvarim Yafim, Yellow 2 cafés and restaurants

km 41.5

Fuel station

km 44.3

Paz, Yellow

km 54

A café or restaurant

km 63.3

Delek

km 75.6

A café or restaurant

km 105.5

Dor Alon, אלונית

km 109.3

Dor Alon

km ⁦117.9–118⁩

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.

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.