Golan Trail

Understand

The Golan Heights are mostly flat, but sloping southwards; that is, a traveler moving north to south would find an easy downward slope with almost no steep climbs. However, volcanic activity has raised dozens of mounds, reaching sharply upwards. The trail climbs some of these, the tallest of them – Mount Bental – rising 200 meters above its surroundings. Additionally, numerous canyons dig deeply into the ground, with streams flowing west towards the Hulla Valley. They contain some of the most popular hiking destinations in the region, and so the trail does make some of these tough ascents and descents, but the hiker is well rewarded by the water basins and ponds in them. The profound military history of the Golan Heights, dictated by its strategic importance as a high ground, has great effects on the path of the trail, as well as its contents. The Golan Heights were taken from Syria by Israel in the war of 1967. Israel legislatively annexed it fully in 1981. The move was not endorsed by the UN, but effectively, travelling to the Heights from within Israel is as easy as travelling to anywhere else in the country (unlike in the West Bank, which wasn't completely annexed). The wars have left numerous minefields and many areas are closed off for security reasons, both factors greatly reducing the area accessible for travel. Because of these, the trail passes only through the eastern parts of the Heights, not reaching the numerous springs of the western steppes. On the other hand, the trail takes the hiker through several abandoned outposts and many memorial sites, making interesting – though sometimes grim – additions to the hiking experience. The Golan Trail was inaugurated on 2007 by the Israeli Society for Nature and the Golan Tourism Association, run by the settlements of the region. Several small changes in its course were made in following years. It is a very popular trail for experienced hikers in Israel as well as youth movements, and the association makes efforts to make it more accessible to others as well, by releasing online content (Hebrew only) as well as through various public events, such as an annual ultra-marathon race.

Prepare

It's highly recommended to consult the page about hiking and backpacking in Israel in preparation for this trip. Length and duration: First decide whether you wish to hike the entire trail or just parts. Hikers carrying all their gear with them should take 5 days to complete the whole trail, with reasonable – and not excessive – effort. Maps: A high-quality hiking map for the Golan Heights can be bought. They're only available in Hebrew, but still very usable by non-speakers. This English site offers the 2008 version; minor changes to the trail were made since then, and they're detailed in this page. A Hebrew site offers the newest (2014) version. Maps older than 2008 do not have the Golan Trail marked. Up-to-date maps of the trail are posted freely by the Golan Tourism Association, but their website is only in Hebrew, and the maps are only schematic. A map for general reference can be found below. Choose campgrounds: Some of the trail goes through nature reserves, in which camping is only allowed in declared campsites (free of charge but containing no facilities). Campfires are prohibited throughout the Golan Heights, except in declared campsites. Residents of some of the settlements are willing to accommodate travellers, usually for free. They're nicknamed "Trail Angels", and there's an online list with their contact information. Water supply: There are many springs near the trail, but the quality of the water in those is unknown. Generally, in Israel, it's not a popular habit of hikers to use natural water sources for drinking. Also take into account that most of the springs aren't on the trail, but require some detours; this page details the most popular ones. Reservoirs, by the way, are good for bathing, but almost never for drinking. In cool days, carry 4.5 liters per person for a full day. In exceptionally hot days, you'll need 7. Tap-water in Israel is good for drinking. You can fill your bottles in any settlement, but most campsites do not have running water. Weather: Check the forecast. You can use the Israeli Meteorological Service, ☏ +972 3 5600600. ("Qazrin" is the local weather station you should check). In rainy days, steep canyons can be danger

Get in

To the northern end The northern end of the trail is at the payment stations for the Hermon site, halfway up the mountain.

By car drive to the northern end of route 98, not far from Majdall Shams and Neve Ativ. All central junctions in the area have roadsigns to Mount Hermon. During winter, plan for serious traffic jams at the road up the mountain, unless you reach it before 05:00. By bus you can only reach Majdall Shams or Neve Ativ, by line 58 (operated by Golan Lines) departing from Qiryat Shemona only a few times a day. Some trail angels would be willing to give you a ride for the last part. Hitchhiking would probably be difficult, except at the peak of winter, when many Israelis visit the Hermon. By foot you can climb the road from Majdall Shams, or follow the hiking trail from Neve Ativ: find the cemetery, and from there head on along the red dirt road that'll take you in a few hours to the beginning of the trail. It's a military zone, so do not deviate from the path, and entry is generally only allowed on Sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday evening)... though it's generally also safe the rest of the week.

To the southern end The Trail's southern end is on route 98 near Ein Tewfik.

By car drive to Hammat Gadder: from central Israel, take route 90 to Zemach junction at the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee, turn east to route 92 that becomes 98 and reaches Hammat Gadder. Continue on the road, ascending on a long and winding course up the cliff side, and near the top – around kilometer-post 11 – you'll see a gravel clearing on your left, with the Golan Trail mark painted on a roadsign pole. If you want to reach that point from northern Israel, you can go up to the Heights, then take route 98 to its south; the said clearing is south of Mevo Hamma. By bus you can't reach that exact spot, and only a few buses reach anywhere near it. Line 10 (operated by Golan Lines) goes from Katzrin to Mevo Hamma (on the highland) once a day except on Fridays and Saturdays. Line 24 (Golan Lines) goes from Tiberias to Hammat Gadder (below the ridge) once a day except on Fridays and Saturdays. There's line 853 from Mevo Hamma to Tel Aviv, departing a few times a week,

Go

The Golan Tourism Association divides the trail into 15 sections, numbered from north to south. Each section is around 8 km in length, so for most travelers it would be best to complete 2-3 sections each day.

1. Mount Hermon to Nimrod Schematic map (Hebrew only). This section of the trail contains steep slopes and therefore is unfit for cycling and equitation.

Northern end: Not far from the entry gates to the Hermon tourism site are three large metal signposts, with information about the trail and its first section. From there the trail marking heads down into the nearby ravine. Upper Guvta stream: A relatively steep but not very tough descent. During winter it may be piled with snow. After about 2 km the trail leaves the stream and threads among the nearby hills. Upper Saar stream: After leaving the Guvta stream, the trail passes near a road and shortly thereafter descends a steep and slippery slope into the Saar stream. At the bottom of the descent the trail goes near the road to Majdall Shams, a Druze town. You'd have to cross some piles of waste to reach the road, cross it and take a dirt road that goes alongside it. Nimrod access road: Shortly after leaving the dirt road, the trail goes on the access road to the small settlement Nimrod.

Extra section: connect to the Hula Valley or the Israel National Trail Since the INT ends at the north of the Hula Valley and doesn't pass through the Golan He