Naftali Mountain Ridge

Photograph: KKL-JNF Photo Archive
Photograph: KKL-JNF Photo Archive
The Naftali Mountain Ridge rises above the Hula Valley in the east of the Upper Galilee. Nahal Dishon marks the southern border of the ridge, whereas the Litani River in Lebanon marks its northern extreme. The Naftali Mountain Ridge is about 25 km long and about 10 km wide, but not all of it is in Israel.

  • Entrance fee

    Entrance is free of charge

  • Geographic location-

    Central Galilee and the Golan Heights

  • Area-

    north

  • Special Sites in the Forest-

    Tel Hai Courtyard and Kfar Giladi, the sculpture garden in Tel Hai, Hunin Fortress, Benaya Rein scenic lookout, Mount Nezer and the Mount Nezer Reserve, Naftali Mountains Forest – main scenic road.

  • Other sites in the area-

    Ein Ro'im, Liran Saada scenic lookout, the Geological Recreation Area and park. Manara Cliff, Nezer observation point.

  • Adaptation for people with limited mobility-

    Yes

  • Type of parking-

    Accessible parks,Overnight parks,Picnic parks

  • Interest-

    Hiking and Walking Tracks,Bicycle track,Archeology

Tourism Notifications

* Closure of the Harei Naftali Scenic Route –
The Harei Naftali Scenic Route (in the section of the Harei Naftali Scenic Route from Yiftah to Tel-Hai) is impassible for the public. In light of the IDF's movements, the road is damaged and unsuitable for passage by vehicles.
* Closure of Harei Naftali Single –
The Harei Naftali Single was closed. As a rule, the public is not allowed to move in the area of Al-Nabi Yusha' and Harei Naftali, due to the IDF using this area for operations.
* Closure of Rock-Climbing Sites –
The rock-climbing sites in the Harei Naftali Forest are closed to the public. A notice will be issued upon their reopening.
* The HaEla Campsite has no active water point. In light of the instances of vandalism, it was decided to disconnect the water source there.
* Closure of the Palmach Trail –
Due to safety deficiencies, the Palmach Trail in Harei Naftali is closed to the public.

About the Forest

The ridge's watershed marks the border between Israel and Lebanon.
Israel received the part of the mountain in which the rivers flow eastwards to the Jordan River. Lebanon received the part of the mountain in the drainage basin of the Mediterranean Sea, which is wider and more moderate.
The geology, therefore, has "caused" most of the area of the mountain to be in the territory of Lebanon. All that remains for us is to console ourselves with Mount Shanan to the north of Manara, the highest point on the ridge (902 m).

In the 1930s three settlements were founded on the ridge as a Zionist response to the British "White Paper." Kibbutz Manara was founded in 1943 and two years later the Palmah strongholds of Misgav Am and Ramot Naftali, which became settlements. In the Second Lebanon War (2006) many trees in the area caught fire in the area as a consequence of Katyusha rocket hits.
At the end of the war KKL-JNF began to rehabilitate the burnt forest and planted a large variety of trees including cedars, oaks and terebinths, Judas trees, almond trees, Turkish pine, Canary Island pine and Jerusalem pine trees.

KKL-JNF For the Community

In the Second Lebanon War, in Summer 2006, many Katyusha rockets were fired towards the Galilee and they caused heavy damage to the forests.
On the Naftali Mountains ridge alone approximately 8,000 dunams burned down, more than three-quarters of the forest's area. KKL-JNF involved the community in rehabilitating the forest. Thousands of volunteers took part in the work, from Israel and also those who came specially from abroad for this purpose, and worked together with the members of KKL-JNF's forestry branch. Regrettably, part of the forest burned down again in a fire that rampaged in Summer 2021.