Israel National Trail

Israel National Trail
Route of Israel National Trail as of 2019
Length1,025 kilometres (636.9 mi)
LocationIsrael
Established1995
TrailheadsNorth: Dan, South: Eilat
UseHiking
Seasonautumn, winter, spring; with caution and only northern parts also in summer
MonthsNovember to May[1]
Websitewww.israeltrail.net

The Israel National Trail (Hebrew: שביל ישראל, Shvil Yisra'el) is a hiking trail that crosses the entire length of Israel,[2] with its northern end at Kibbutz Dan in the far north of the country, extending to Eilat at the southernmost tip of Israel on the Red Sea, with a total length of 1,040 km (650 mi).[3][4] The trail was inaugurated in 1995.

Israel Trail marker on a tree

The trail is marked with three stripes (white, blue, and orange), and takes an average of 45–60 days to complete.[5]

The Israel National Trail has been listed in National Geographic's 20 most "epic trails." It is described as a trail that "delves into the grand scale of biblical landscapes as well as the everyday lives of the modern Israeli."[6]

Since January 2016, the Israel National Trail can be explored on Google Street View. Israel National Trail on Google Street View.[7]

The best hiking seasons are either from mid-February to mid-May or from September to December. The summer months (mid-May to the end of August) are considered too hot. Winter is less popular due to rain, low temperatures and, in the southern sections of the trail, potential flash floods.

  1. ^ Schnitzspahn, Doug. "World's Best Hikes: Epic Trails". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  2. ^ "Israel National Trail". Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  3. ^ National Geographic names Israel National Trail as one of world's best, Haaretz
  4. ^ Google Street View cameras to bring Israel National Trail alive, Jerusalem Post
  5. ^ Porcupines, Emperors, and the New Middle East, Eretz Magazine
  6. ^ Udasin, Sharon (August 13, 2012). "'National Geographic' calls Israel Trail 'epic'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  7. ^ Leichman, Abigail Klein (2015-05-11). "Israel National Trail gets Google Street View". ISRAEL21c. Retrieved 2023-11-04.