Mount Carmel & Carmel Forest

Photo: KKL-JNF Photo Archive
Photo: KKL-JNF Photo Archive

Hills and vales, rivers, cliffs and dense Mediterranean woodland all combine to make the Carmel Ridge Forests a lively ecological area gaily carpeted with flowers, dotted with recreational parks and endowed with magnificent scenic lookouts.

Hills and vales, rivers, cliffs and dense Mediterranean woodland all combine to make the Carmel Ridge Forests a lively ecological area gaily carpeted with flowers, dotted with recreational parks and endowed with magnificent scenic lookouts. The Carmel extends from the hills of Ramat Menashe in the south to Haifa Bay in the north, with the Mediterranean Sea as its western boundary and the Jezreel Valley as its border to the east. In December 2010, the forests of Mount Carmel suffered the worst fire in Israel’s history, in which some 25 thousand dunam (approx 6,250 acres) of natural woodland and planted forest were destroyed. Ever since, KKL-JNF foresters have been monitoring the forest’s renewal process and have played a major role in its rehabilitation.

  • How to get there

    From north and south: Route no. 672 crosses the Carmel from north to south. In the south it links up with the Furadeis-Yokneam Highway via Wadi Milik (Route no. 70) at the Elyakim Junction (Tzomet Elyakim).

    From the north: The forest can be reached from the southern neighborhoods of Haifa, Ramat Denya and Haifa University. From the Haifa area it can be accessed from the west from Via Maris, the ancient Sea Road (i.e., the continuation of Route no. 672), which joins the Coastal Road at the southern entrance to Haifa.

    From the west: You can take the road that ascends eastward from Oren Junction (Tzomet Oren; Route no. 721), which can be reached from the Haifa to Tel Aviv Highway (Route no. 4) or from the Coastal Road (Route no. 2); leave the highway at the Atlit Interchange. This is a pleasantly scenic route, but the road is narrow and requires a high level of concentration from the driver.

    From the east: Take the Nesher Road (Route no. 7212) that ascends to the Carmel to the southeast of Route no. 75, between Yagur Junction and the Kerayot Junction. This winding road provides wonderful views of the surrounding landscape.

  • Geographic location-

    Mount Carmel-Krayot and surroundings,Western Galilee and Mount Carmel

  • Area-

    north

  • Special Sites in the Forest-

    Keren HaCarmel Forest and the Cyclamen Trail, the hanging bridges of Nesher, Carmel Coast Forest, the Active Recreation Park, the Ron Trails, cycle paths, the Carmel Scenic Trail, Carmel National Park, Nahal Kelah, the Druze communities of Daliyat al-Carmel and Usifiya, the Kedumim Quarries, Horshat HaArbaim, the Mandate Paths, Shaar HaCarmel Recreation Area, the Haifa rivers, Ein Hod.

  • Facilities-

    Picinic area, Lookout, Marked path, Archeological site, Active Recreation, Memorial.

  • Other sites in the area-

    Furadeis, Yokneam, Wadi Milik, Atlit, Nesher.

  • Type of parking-

    Accessible parks,Picnic parks

  • Interest-

    Hiking and Walking Tracks,Bicycle track,Lookouts

Projects and Partners Worldwide

Carmel Ridge Forests was rehabilitated and developed thanks to a contribution from friends of KKL-JNF worldwide, including USA, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, France, Australia and Israel.
Photo: Yoav Devir
Photo: Yoav Devir

About the Forests

The Carmel extends from the hills of Ramat Menashe in the south to Haifa Bay in the north, with the Mediterranean Sea as its western boundary and the Jezreel Valley bordering it to the east. These boundaries encompass a discrete area of 232 square kilometers. At its highest point, Mount Carmel Ridge soars to a height of 546 meters above the above the blue waters of the Mediterranean. From the hilltops the green slopes of Mount Carmel, the communities of the Coastal Plain, farmland, banana plantations and fishponds can all be seen, with the blue sea and the bays of its shoreline in the distance.

In the Biblical Song of Songs the poet declares “Thy head upon thee is like Carmel…” (Song of Songs 7:6), and this hill, which was a byword for beauty, bounty, majesty, green woodland, vineyard and orchard, is also mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah: “And I brought you to Carmel, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof…” (Jeremiah 2:7).

Photo: KKL-JNF Archive
Photo: KKL-JNF Archive

Climate and Vegetation

The dense Mediterranean woodland that clothes Mount Carmel is the product of the prevailing weather conditions: the region’s proximity to the sea, its temperate climate and high humidity levels have created a well-developed natural woodland of Israeli common oak (Quercus calliprinos), terebinth (Pistacia palaestina), carob and mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus), among which a population of smaller flowering shrubs and aromatic herbs can be found: spiny broom (Calicotome villosa), Genista fasselata (another variety of broom), sage-leaved rockrose (Cistus salviifolius), soft-hairy rockrose (Cistus creticus), Greek sage ( Salvia fruticosa, also known as three-lobed sage) and Syrian marjoram (Origanum syriacum, also known as hyssop). The designated area of the Carmel Forests extends over more than 80 thousand dunam (20,000 acres), and has been declared a national park. Of this area, 24,000 dunam constitute a nature reserve containing some 670 species of plants. KKL-JNF has planted 30,000 dunam of trees in the region, and has provided it with recreation areas, scenic routes, footpaths and hiking trails.

Geology and Archeology

On the seaward side Mount Carmel Ridge descends to Israel’s Coastal Plain. The slope was created by geological processes that took place hundreds of thousands of years ago during a period when the sea level was higher, and the constant action of the breaking waves caused parts of the cliff to collapse, creating a rocky and precipitous shoreline. The area is also characterized by tuff rocks whose colors range from black to yellow and green, and which are particularly noticeable when traveling along the dirt road from the beach towards Kerem Maharal and the Shir Valley.

Ancient tomb. Photo: KKL-JNF Archive
Ancient tomb. Photo: KKL-JNF Archive

The tuff rocks are the result of underwater volcanic eruptions; the volcanic ash floated to the surface of the water before sinking once more into the depths. As tuff rock is softer than the chalk rock of the Carmel, it was quickly eroded by rainfall, resulting in the creation of depressions like the Shir Valley and Maharal Valley. Reef-like rocks composed of fossilized marine creatures such as molluscs and corals can also be found in the region, and an impressive reef-like rock can be seen in the Nahal Mearot Nature Reserve.

Mount Carmel has been home to human habitation since the prehistoric era, and the remains of ancient settlement have been uncovered in caves in the hillsides. Throughout history these hills have attracted settlers of different religions: Jews, Druze, Christians and Muslims. The Bahai Temple of Haifa, the beautifully tended gardens that surround it and the various sacred sites – most of which are dedicated to the memory of the Prophet Elijah, a Carmel native himself – make the area in ideal venue for a fascinating excursion into both nature and history.

Forests and Nature

Most of the area of Mount Carmel is covered in natural woodland, and cultivated forests have been planted only in places where the natural growth has been completely destroyed. The cultivated forests are mainly the work of KKL-JNF, which planted them after the land had been acquired. Although most were created after the State was founded, the afforestation process had begun much earlier, in the 1920s and 1030s, when the region was still ruled by the British Mandate. An area of forest dating back to that period can still be seen on the road from Elyakim Junction to Haifa (Route no. 672), between kilometer markers 28 and 29. The trees are stone pines (Pinus pinea), which are notable for their rounded foliage and edible pine nuts.

Carmel Terraces. Photo: Yoav Devir
Carmel Terraces. Photo: Yoav Devir

The tuff rocks are the result of underwater volcanic eruptions; the volcanic ash floated to the surface of the water before sinking once more into the depths. As tuff rock is softer than the chalk rock of the Carmel, it was quickly eroded by rainfall, resulting in the creation of depressions like the Shir Valley and Maharal Valley. Reef-like rocks composed of fossilized marine creatures such as molluscs and corals can also be found in the region, and an impressive reef-like rock can be seen in the Nahal Mearot Nature Reserve.

Mount Carmel has been home to human habitation since the prehistoric era, and the remains of ancient settlement have been uncovered in caves in the hillsides. Throughout history these hills have attracted settlers of different religions: Jews, Druze, Christians and Muslims. The Bahai Temple of Haifa, the beautifully tended gardens that surround it and the various sacred sites – most of which are dedicated to the memory of the Prophet Elijah, a Carmel native himself – make the area in ideal venue for a fascinating excursion into both nature and history.