South · Loop

Wild Wild East

Ne'ot HaKikar · 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 169 km

Total climbing 2,552 m

Highest point 161 m

Lowest point -375 m

Days 3–4 days

Difficulty Hard

Recommended months Nov–Apr

A wild loop from Ne'ot HaKikar at the south end of the Dead Sea into the craters, canyons and cliffs of the eastern Negev and northern Arava. Deep desert, total silence and views you never see from the road.

How to load the file to your device → Download GPX

Elevation profile

160 m -375 m

0 km 34 km 68 km 101 km 135 km 169 km

Route story · Wild Wild East

The Small Crater, Nahal Peratzim and total silence

169 km and 2,550 m of climbing on a loop that starts and ends at Neot HaKikar, south of the Dead Sea. You climb from the Hidden Spring to Ein Hatzeva, continue through the Small Crater, Nahal Tamar and Har Tzurim, descend to the Dead Sea Works and Nahal Peratzim and return across Melahat Sdom. Deep desert, with no water points and only two resupply points.

Loop · Ne'ot HaKikar3–4 daysNov–AprHard

169km

2,552m climbing

72.9km, longest stretch without fuel

3fuel stations within 300 m

0water taps along the way

9night campsites near the route

There are no water points on the route. There are only two resupply points: Ein Hatzeva, km 39.3–41.7, and the fuel station by Neve Zohar, km 114.6, 290 m off the route. Between them are 73 km with no fuel, shop or water, and after Neve Zohar there is nothing until the mini-market at the finish. Carry all your water and food, and plan to refill at Ein Hatzeva.

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The route at a glance

Fuel stationGrocery or supermarketWater tapNight campsite

01km ⁦0–35⁩

From the Hidden Spring to the Arava

You set off from the Nahal Amatzyahu eco park, by Ein Tamar, and pass the Melahat Sdom reserve and Ein Plutit, the Hidden Spring, a natural pool of warm, brackish water. Then you ride along Nahal Aviya and Nahal Amatzyahu, climbing gradually about 170 m to the Nahal Bitron campsite in the shade of the cliff.

Along the way

km 0Nahal Amatzyahu eco park
km 1.9Ein Plutit, the Hidden Spring
km 16.1Nahal Aviya
km 21.8Nahal Amatzyahu
km 34.1Nahal Bitron night campsite, 110 m off the route

02km ⁦35–55⁩

Ein Hatzeva and the craters

Ein Hatzeva holds the first of the route's two resupply points: a fuel station and an Aroma right by the road. By Ir Ovot, biblical Tamar, you enter the Makhteshim–Ein Yahav reserve and climb to about 90 m above sea level, and at the end of the section you reach the lower Nahal Zin campsite.

Along the way

km 38.9Ein Hatzeva spring, 330 m off the route
km 40.7Ir Ovot, biblical Tamar, 470 m off the route
km 43.6Makhteshim–Ein Yahav nature reserve
km 54.8Lower Nahal Zin night campsite

Resupply · km 39.3
Ein Hatzeva: Paz and Aroma, and another fuel station at km 41.7. After them there is nothing until Neve Zohar, km 114.6

03km ⁦55–82⁩

The Small Crater and Nahal Tamar

Along Nahal Zin, past Ein Akrabim and Nahal Akrabim, into the Small Crater area. Ashmedai Gate, the Small Crater campsite, the Mazar lookout and Mitzpe Oretz, with a shade structure above the stream bed, then down Nahal Tzafit and Nahal Tamar to the Nahal Tamar campsite.

Along the way

km 56.6Ein Akrabim, polluted water, not for drinking
km 69.8Ashmedai Gate, 380 m off the route
km 71.8Small Crater night campsite
km 73.4Mazar lookout
km 76.7Mitzpe Oretz, with shade and seating
km 80.7Nahal Tamar night campsite

04km ⁦82–110⁩

Har Tzurim and the Dead Sea Works

You cross Nahal Peres and climb past Har Tzurim to the route's highest point, about 160 m above sea level. Then you descend into the Dead Sea basin, to the Dead Sea Works lookout, with an audio guide and Ezra Orion's sculpture "A State of a Man", and on to Nahal Sdom.

Along the way

km 84.4Nahal Peres
km 87.6Mitzpe Tzurim, 420 m off the route
km 100.6Dead Sea Works lookout
km 100.7The sculpture "A State of a Man"
km 106.6Nahal Sdom

05km ⁦110–130⁩

Nahal Peratzim and Mishor Amiaz

Here you are at the bottom, about 370 m below sea level. The Nahal Lot campsite, then the narrow canyon of Nahal Peratzim, by the Flour Cave, and a short climb to the Amiaz plain, with a big campsite and crescent windbreaks.

Along the way

km 117.6Nahal Lot night campsite, 140 m off the route
km 123.1The Nahal Peratzim canyon
km 123.2The Flour Cave
km 125Mishor Amiaz night campsite, exposed to the wind

Resupply · km 114.6
A Delek fuel station by Neve Zohar, 290 m off the route. The last resupply before the finish

06km ⁦130–169⁩

Back to Neot HaKikar

From Nahal Hamrit and Nahal Admon you return to Nahal Tamar, climb once more, briefly, to about 200 m below sea level, and drop through the Melahat Sdom reserve. At the finish, in Neot HaKikar, a mini-market is waiting.

Along the way

km 134.2Nahal Hamrit
km 141.8Melahat Sdom nature reserve
km 142.3Nahal Tamar
km 147.4Nahal Tzafit

Resupply · km 168.9
A mini-market at the finish

Where to sleep

Over two or three days, for example: lower Nahal Zin (km 54.8) or the Small Crater (km 71.8), and Nahal Lot (km 117.6) or Mishor Amiaz (km 125).

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 34.1Free

חניון לילה נחל ביתרון 110 m off the route

km 54.8Free

חניון לילה נחל צין תחתון 70 m off the route

km 67.1With water

470 m off the route

km 71.8Halfway

חניון לילה מכתש קטן 20 m off the route · Free

km 113.1Free

חניון לילה משה כהנא 740 m off the route

km 114.5Free

חניון לילה בריכות נויה 1,010 m off the route

km 117.6Free

חניון לילה נחל לוט 140 m off the route

km 124.6Free

חניון לילה נחל עמיעז 920 m off the route

km 125Free

חניון לילה מישור עמיעז 70 m off the route

Where to refuel

Fuel stations, groceries and food within 300 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 ⁦39.3–39.4⁩

Paz A café or restaurant

km 41.7

Fuel station

km 114.6

Delek

km 168.9

Mini mart

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.