Nahal HaBesor Scenic Road

Nahal HaBesor Scenic Road Reservoirs Scenic Lookout. Photograph: Yisrael Melubani
Nahal HaBesor is the biggest of the rivers in Israel that flow into the Mediterranean Sea. The river's drainage basin covers approximately 3,400 square kilometers and includes the Ovdat Heights, Arad, the Lahav Hills and the western Hebron Mountain. It is no wonder that sometimes, after heavy rain, immense quantities of water flow in the river. The sight is spectacular but dangerous! Approaching the river banks during a flood is forbidden.
  • How to get there

    A few hundred meters to the north of Tze'elim Junction, on Route 222 (the Tze'elim–Gvulot road), a dirt road leaves the main road and accompanies the western bank of Nahal HaBesor and leads northwards until Eshkol Park, to Route 241 (the Magen–Gilat road). This dirt road is the scenic road that was prepared by KKL-JNF and the Negev Tourism Development Administration. The northern end of the scenic road is on Route 241 between the 4 and 5 km markers, and the southern end is on Route 222, between the 184 and 185 km markers. To the field road: When arriving from Ofakim and Beersheba, drive along Route 241, turn south at Urim Junction towards Tze'elim Junction along Route 234, and from there continue to Tze'elim Junction on Route 222.
  • Entrance fee

    Entry to Nahal HaBesor and its sites is free of charge.
  • Geographic location-

    Arava region,Mount Negev
  • Area-

    south
  • Special Sites in the Area-

    The Field Road – Nahal HaBesor, Nahal Grar Park, Ofakim Park, Be'eri Forest, Eshkol National Park, Golda Park.
  • Special Sites in the Park-

    Be'er Tze'elim, Be'er Revuva, Tel Seruhan, the remains of the British rail bridge, Eshkol Park.
  • Type of parking-

    Accessible parks,Overnight parks,Picnic parks
  • Interest-

    Lookouts,Archeology

About the Site

The main channel of Nahal HaBesor begins its path near Sde Boker, crosses the mountains of the Northern Negev, undermines the hills of the Negev plain near Revivim, twists through the loess soil of the Western Negev and ends its journey after approximately 80 km in Gaza. The main tributaries of Nahal HaBesor are Nahal Grar and Nahal Be'er Sheva.

The immense floods that the river brings with it, mainly by means of its tributaries that originate in the Judean foothills and in Mount Hebron, create natural springs in the western Negev. Small settlements already existed around these springs in prehistorical times. The largest of these springs – Einot HaBesor (the Besor Springs) – is the basis for the Besor National Park (Park Eshkol).

In the Western Negev three sections of scenic roads with a total length of approximately 45 km accompany Nahal HaBesor. The roads are traversable for a private car and provide every visitor with opportunities to get to know the river's scenery and the sites along it well. The roads are marked and the main sites along them are signposted, the fruit of collaboration of the Shikma-Besor Drainage Authority, KKL-JNF, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and Eshkol Regional Council. Before setting out, one small request: the land on the banks of the river is cultivated and adds its beauty to the scenery. Please, do not damage the fields and do not pick the crop of the orchards.

Potato field near the stream

KKL-JNF For the Community

The Besor Reservoirs

KKL-JNF has built approximately 230 reservoirs throughout Israel.
The KKL-JNF reservoirs are a major sustainable source of water for agriculture and they contribute greatly to the water supply, to agriculture and to the environment. The reservoirs receive flood water and treated wastewater, provide a reliable and cheap water source for farmers, and make freshwater available for domestic use, nature and industry.

The Besor reservoirs add 10 million cubic meters of water a year to the Western Negev and have changed the certainty of a constant water supply beyond recognition. Due to the reservoirs thousands of dunams of citrus have been transferred from the center of Israel to the Negev and field crops in the area greatly increased, as anyone who drives along the Besor road can see.
The Besor reservoirs contribute greatly to agricultural activity, the economic basis of the communities in the area.

The Besor Reservoirs