There are some ten picnic tables scattered throughout the Fighters Recreation Area where you can sit in the shade of Kermes oak trees that were planted as part of the creation of an entire grove west of Tel Shifon, which rises 977 m over the site, to its east. KKL-JNF also planted a grove of conifers nearby that includes many cedar trees.
The recreation area is located on the site of a monument commemorating the 74 fallen soldiers of the 679th Brigade, which fought in the area during the Yom Kippur War (October 1973). The monument, created by sculptor Naomi Henrik, is made out of the turret of a Syrian tank bearing two cannons and metal plates shaped into bird wings. There is an audio device next to the monument that narrates the missions of the brigade, with accompanying maps that illustrate the course of the battles.
During the Yom Kippur War, the few tanks of the young brigade encountered Syrian forces that had reached Nafah Junction, just a few km from the Bnot Yaakov Bridge. The Syrians were stopped in a bloody battle. In the days that followed, the brigade conquered additional territory, waging heavy battles against the Syrians and an Iraqi expeditionary force.
Directions: You ascend from the Bnot Yaakov Bridge to the Golan (Route 91) and about 1.5 km east of HaShiryon Junction (Nafah), just before Kibbutz Ortal, turn right onto a road paved with crushed rocks to the Fighters' Forest recreation area.
What’s in the Fighters Recreation Area?
Type of recreation area – Day site
Amenities: approximately 5 concrete tables, 4 garbage bins, concrete paths, a concrete bench, a memorial stone in memory of the fighters of the 679th Brigade.
There are no water taps.