North · Loop

To The Springs v3

Trek Mishmar HaEmek · 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 131 km

Total climbing 1,412 m

Highest point 361 m

Lowest point -258 m

Days 2 days

Difficulty Moderate

Recommended months Apr–Nov

Another take on the springs route, from the Trek store at Mishmar HaEmek. Shorter and easier, and good for beginners too.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

354 m -256 m

0 km 26 km 52 km 79 km 105 km 131 km

Route story · To The Springs v3

Spring after spring, from the valley to Beit Shean

131 km and about 1,400 m of climbing on a loop that starts and ends at the Trek store in Mishmar HaEmek. You pass Megiddo, ride along the Kishon, cross the Gilboa and drop to the springs of the Beit Shean valley, from Gan HaShlosha to Ein Avuka, then head back west along Nahal Harod. Mostly flat, with one real climb, and suitable for beginners too.

Loop · Trek Mishmar HaEmek2 daysApr–NovModerate

131km

1,412m climbing

47.7km, longest stretch without fuel

7fuel stations within 200 m

4water taps along the way

9night campsites near the route

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The route at a glance

Fuel stationGrocery or supermarketWater tapNight campsite

01km ⁦0–30⁩

From Mishmar HaEmek to the Kishon

You leave Mishmar HaEmek along Nahal Midrach, pass Tel Megiddo, with its Canaanite gates and palaces, and Nahal Keini. Then on through the fields of the Jezreel Valley, across the Kishon and past Barak, Meitav and Gan Ner. Almost flat, between 60 and 150 m.

Along the way

km 1.9Kibbutzim Memorial night campsite, 1 km off the route
km 7.3Tel Megiddo, 440 m off the route
km 8Water point
km 9.4Einot Lagiyo in Nahal Keini, 440 m off the route
km 19.5Nahal Kishon

Resupply · km 6.6
Paz and Yellow. Dor Alon at km 11.8 and Delek at km 28.2

02km ⁦30–50⁩

Over the Gilboa

Past the Nurit picnic site and the Ma'ayan Harod national park you reach the route's climb: about 280 m to the high point, about 360 m, near the Sha'ar HaZahav campsite. On the way, the Kitef Shaul campsite and the Vinia lookout, and from the Meir Yaakobi lookout you see the Harod valley, Mount Tabor and Givat HaMoreh. Then you drop almost 450 m, to below sea level, by Beit Alfa and Hefziba.

Along the way

km 34.6Ma'ayan Harod night campsite, paid, 650 m off the route
km 39Kitef Shaul East night campsite
km 41.5Vinia lookout
km 43.1Sha'ar HaZahav night campsite, 280 m off the route
km 45.8Hephzibah quarry, 370 m off the route
km 47.5Meir Yaakobi lookout over the Harod valley

Resupply · km 49.8
Artishok: grocery and café. Sonol at km 50

03km ⁦50–66⁩

Gan HaShlosha and Nahal HaKibbutzim

This is where the springs begin. Gan HaShlosha, Ein Amal and Ein Migdal, the Homa uMigdal reconstruction at Tel Amal, and Nahal HaKibbutzim with Migdal HaShlosha and two night campsites. You continue through the Beit Shean valley past Shluhot, the White Waterfalls and Ein Yehuda, to Ein Rehov.

Along the way

km 50.8Gan HaShlosha night campsite
km 51.6Water point by Gan HaShlosha
km 52.7Migdal HaShlosha
km 52.9Nahal HaKibbutzim night campsite
km 61.3The White Waterfalls and Ein Yehuda
km 65.5Water point

Resupply · km 50.6
Delek 24/7, and a kiosk at km 51.3. After them no shop until Beit Shean, km 86.5

04km ⁦66–90⁩

The Beit Shean valley springs

The lowest part of the route, about 250 m below sea level. Ein Nezem, whose water is brackish and not drinkable, Tirat Tsvi and Ein Miriam, then Ein Avuka and HaMasil HaKatan, with clear water. Via Neve Eitan you reach Beit Shean, the Truncated Bridge and Tel Beit Shean, and continue to the Qantara bridge.

Along the way

km 67.8Ein Nezem, brackish water
km 71.1Ein Miriam
km 76.1Ein Avuka
km 77.9HaMasil HaKatan
km 85The Truncated Bridge, a Roman bridge that fell in the earthquake of 749
km 88.3Qantara night campsite

Resupply · km 86.5
Beit Shean: Pushkina grocery. Water at km 84.4

05km ⁦90–131⁩

Home along Nahal Harod

From Beit Shean you head back west along Nahal Harod, past Tel Salwim, then along Nahal Gilboa and the Kishon. Before the finish you pass Ein Adad, HaYogev and Ein Azzi, and return to Mishmar HaEmek.

Along the way

km 96.5Tel Salwim
km 106.1Tel Yizre'el night campsite, 1.2 km off the route
km 116.9Nahal Kishon
km 120.8Ein Adad
km 126.6Ein Azzi

Resupply · km 123.1
HaYogev: a grocery, a pizzeria and a fuel station. Sonol at km 98.3

Where to sleep

To split it over two days, Gan HaShlosha (km 50.8) or Nahal HaKibbutzim (km 52.9), right by the Beit Alfa services. For a longer first day, the Qantara campsite at km 88.3.

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 1.9Free

חניון לילה אנדרטת הקיבוצים 1,010 m off the route

km 34.6Paid

חניון לילה מעיין חרוד 650 m off the route

km 39Free

חניון לילה כתף שאול מזרח 30 m off the route

km 43.1Free

חניון לילה שער הזהב 280 m off the route

km 50.8Free

חניון לילה גן השלושה 20 m off the route

km 52.9Halfway

חניון לילה נחל הקיבוצים 100 m off the route · Free

km 56.1Halfway

חניון לילה עין מודע 970 m off the route · Free

km 88.3Free

חניון לילה קנטרה 80 m off the route

km 106.1Free

חניון לילה תל יזרעאל 1,160 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 6.6

Paz, Yellow

km 11.8

Dor Alon

km 28.2

Delek

km ⁦49.8–50.6⁩24/7

Sonol, Delek, Grocery A café or restaurant

km 51.3

Kiosk

km 86.5

Grocery

km 98.3

Sonol

km 121.9

A café or restaurant

km ⁦123.1–123.2⁩

Fuel station, Grocery

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.

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.