Where you can sleep
In nature reserves there is one simple, important rule: you sleep only inside a designated night campsite.
In nature reserves: campsites only
Inside nature reserves you may sleep only inside a designated night campsite. Sleeping outside the campsite area is strictly forbidden, because it disturbs the wildlife.
Where are the campsites?
The site's night campsite map shows every campsite in the country, free and paid.
Private and agricultural land
On private or agricultural land, ask the owner for permission before staying the night.
Free vs. paid campsites
There are two main kinds of Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) night campsites, plus KKL sites in the forests.
Free INPA campsites ("sign campsites")
Open to everyone, with no advance booking: first come, first served. There is no infrastructure, so bring your own water. At holidays and weekends the popular campsites fill up early, so arrive before sunset and have a backup.
Paid INPA campsites
Advance booking only, through the online booking system on the INPA website. Usually with toilets, and sometimes showers.
KKL forest campsites
KKL runs picnic and overnight sites in many forests. Rules, facilities and availability differ from site to site, and some forests may be temporarily closed for safety reasons. Always check the KKL website before you go.
No campsite nearby?
Not every place has a campsite within riding range. There are a few more options.
Hostels and guesthouses
Towns along the route usually have a hostel, a zimmer or a guesthouse.
Desert khans
In the desert there are khans with room for a sleeping bag, sometimes with a shower and a meal.
Fires and cooking
A campfire is part of the experience, but only in the right place and with care.
Only in the marked spot
At free INPA campsites, fires are allowed only in the designated spots. Bring your own firewood: don't collect wood or branches in the reserve.
Gas stoves
Gas stoves for cooking are allowed.
Fire bans
In hot, dry periods fire bans may be declared. Check the INPA and KKL websites before you go.
Put it out completely
Put the fire out completely with water before you sleep and before you leave.
Firing zones (IDF training areas)
Many open areas, especially in the south, are IDF training areas. Some routes on this site pass through them.
Always coordinate in advance
Entering a firing zone always requires coordination and approval in advance from the IDF coordination center of the relevant command.
The status changes
The status changes according to the security situation: some areas can be closed even on weekends and holidays. Never assume an area is open. Check and coordinate before every trip.
Northern Command coordination center
Central Command coordination center
Southern Command coordination center
Coordination details from the IDF Infrastructure and Deployment Branch page. Before holidays, the IDF Spokesperson publishes which areas are open and the current coordination numbers. If you can't confirm an area is open, don't go in.
Unexploded ordnance
If you see unexploded ordnance or a suspicious object: don't touch it, move away and report it immediately.
Cattle gates
Many trails cross grazing land, and along the way you'll meet gates and fences. You may pass through a closed gate, but you must close it behind you and leave every gate the way you found it. A gate left open can let a whole herd onto the road, and can get the trail closed to riders.
Through it? Close it.
The last rider in the group makes sure the gate is closed. If it was tied with a chain or rope, tie it back exactly as it was.
Hinged gate
- How to spot it
- A metal frame or a section of the fence, attached to a post with a hinge.
- How to pass
- Open, go through, close.
- Good to know
- It's often held with a chain, rope or improvised loop. Put it back the way you found it and close it properly.
Metal gate in a fence
- How to spot it
- A barred gate that continues the fence line, usually with a handle or latch.
- How to pass
- Open the latch and walk the bike through carefully.
- Good to know
- It may not look like a familiar garden gate. The latch can be simple or improvised, and it can be heavy to open.
Cattle grid
- How to spot it
- Several metal pipes or bars laid across the track, sometimes over a pit.
- How to pass
- Walk across, or wheel the bike over it.
- Good to know
- This isn't a gate you open. The gaps are there to stop cattle; if you ride it, slow down and cross carefully.
Walk-through gap
- How to spot it
- A gap in the fence with angled bars or panels that make you turn to get through.
- How to pass
- Step in, change direction, step out.
- Good to know
- Some are narrow and awkward with big bags or a loaded bike.
Turnstile gate
- How to spot it
- A frame with rotating arms or sections inside the opening.
- How to pass
- Push or turn it to get through.
- Good to know
- It lets a person through without leaving a straight gap for a cow. With a bike, you sometimes have to take the bike through separately.
Chain or rope across a gap
- How to spot it
- A chain, rope or cable between posts or tied to the fence.
- How to pass
- Unhook or lift it, go through, put it back.
- Good to know
- It's a simple fix and doesn't always look like a gate. Make sure it's closed again behind you.
Leave no trace
To keep campsites and trails open and clean, everyone leaves the place as they found it, or better.
Trash
Take all your trash with you, including food scraps.
Nature
Don't pick plants or damage nature.
Toilet
Far from water sources and trails, and bury or pack out.
Quiet at night
Keep quiet at night: others are sleeping too, and so is the wildlife.
Short checklist before you go
Five questions to answer before every trip. Your ticks are saved in the browser.
Ready to pick a campsite?
Every night campsite on one map, and the emergency numbers to save in your phone.
