Martyrs’ Forest Bike Paths

 

 

 

The heart of Israel conceals a Little Europe: the Nahal Kisalon gully that winds its way among high hills and green forests. The scenic routes through the Martyrs’ Forest (Yaar HaKdoshim) invite cyclists to enjoy, even on the rainiest day, a unique experience that can be interpreted as a strenuous uphill fitness ride, an excursion through the Jerusalem Hills or a warm-up prior to a spin along the excellent Ein Rafa Single Track.

 

 

Martyrs’ Forest is without doubt one the loveliest areas in Israel: a beautiful valley surrounded by huge densely wooded spurs that swoop down from the hilltops. The valley is home to a wide variety of flowers and plants, as well as characteristic specimens of native Israeli wildlife whose habitats in other parts of the country have shrunk.

The scenic routes that pass through the forest offer the cyclist views ranging from the Kisalon Gully at the valley bottom to impressive panoramas from high up on the hillsides; lung-wrenching ascents, and descents that elicit shrieks of joy; a single track with technical overtones; and close contact with the wonders of nature.

The paths through the Martyrs’ Forest are recommended for cycling at all seasons of the year. Winter rains present no threat to these calcareous sandstone trails, which are unaffected by water and offer a mud-free surface even on the wettest day. The spring flowers are glorious and heartwarming, and the pure mountain air combined with the shade that protects large sections of the trails offer a wonderful ride through greenery even at the exhausting height of the Israeli summer.

The trails throughout the forest and its environs provide cyclists with an unending number of options for mixing and matching to create different types of ride: a family outing, an expedition with the guys (or gals), or a long riverbed excursion with plenty of uphill stretches.

Details of the routes

Nahal Kisalon:
Length: 12 kilometers
Cumulative elevation gain from west to east: 320 meters
Cumulative elevation gain from east to west: 20 meters
Level of difficulty: Easy
The route is indicated by red trail markings.

Southern Scenic Route
Length: 9.5 kilometers
Cumulative elevation gain from west to east: 440 meters
Cumulative elevation gain from east to west: 40 meters
Level of difficulty: Medium
The route is indicated by blue trail markings.

Northern Scenic Route
Length: 11 kilometers
Cumulative elevation gain from west to east: 300 meters
Cumulative elevation gain from east to west: 120 meters
Level of difficulty: Medium
The route is indicated by black and green (at the eastern end) trail markings.


Here are a few proposals for routes of varying lengths:

For beginners: From Ein Rafa to the Martyrs’ Forest
Length: 12 kilometers
Cumulative elevation gain: 20 meters

Intermediate: Nahal Kisalon and back again along the Northern Scenic Route
Length: 22 kilometers
Cumulative elevation gain: 400 meters

Advanced: The Southern Scenic Route, the Ein Rafa Single Track, the Northern Scenic Route
Length: 34 kilometers
Cumulative elevation gain: 650 meters
 

 

Nahal Kisalon: From the recreation area in the Martyrs’ Forest we cycle to the right up the Kisalon gully, along a road indicated by red trail markings. At first we pass through a large and imposing entrance gate and then further on, on the right, we come to a picnic area as well as two important land marks: a memorial to Anne Frank that represents a chestnut tree – the only thing she could see from her place of concealment – and the B'nai B'rith Cave that commemorates victims of the Holocaust. The road transforms itself into a calcareous chalk trail and we continue to enjoy the flowers, the vegetation, the wildlife along the way and the huge green spurs that surround us. After 12 kilometers we reach the parking lot, and if we climb up to the right we come to the attractive pool at Ein Lamur.

The Southern Scenic Route: Two kilometers from the start of Nahal Kisalon, immediately after the B'nai B'rith Cave, we turn right on to a blue-marked trail that climbs up the southern side of the valley. As the trail ascends higher and higher, a vista of hills unfolds before our eyes. This is not an easy ascent, and as some parts of it slope steeply, it is not suitable for beginners. After 3.4 kilometers the path passes close to Route no. 395 before pulling away again and continuing for another 6.1 kilometers until it ends when it meets up with the road once more.

The Northern Scenic Route: From Nahal Kisalon, 2.5 kilometers to the west of Ein Rafa or 9 kilometers east of the Martyrs’ Cave Recreation Area, we turn northwest along a green-marked trail to climb up the northern side of the valley. After 900 meters we continue straight on (to the left) along a black-marked trail that hugs the hill and displays wonderful panoramic views of Nahal Kisalon, the ridge to the south of it and the Coastal Plain. Although we are traveling downhill, there are a few impressive uphill stretches along the way to remind us that we are in mountainous terrain. After crossing Mount Carmila, whose open landscapes provide a view in every direction, we come to the long and enjoyable descent that ends at Route no. 38, about half a kilometer to the south of the entrance to Moshav Mesilat Zion.

From Ein Rafa to the Martyrs’ Forest
Here we cycle along the Nahal Kisalon trail in the opposite direction: we depart from the Ein Rafa parking lot, dip our feet in the pool at Ein Lamur, then plunge joyfully down the Nahal Kisalon gully until our route ends at the Martyrs’ Forest Recreation Area.

Nahal Kisalon and back again via the Northern Scenic Route: We depart from the Martyrs’ Forest Recreation Area and start to climb, following the red trail markings up the Nahal Kisalon gully via the entrance gate and the B'nai B'rith Cave. After 9 kilometers, we reach a crossroads, where we turn left to follow the green markings to the Northern Scenic Route. Further along the way these are replaced by black markings, and just as our trail is about to spill into Route no. 38 we turn left along a trail that runs parallel to it. Work is underway at present on this section of the route, and we need to remain alert to ensure that we stay on the right track. After 1.9 kilometers of cycling parallel to the road we meet up with the red markings of Nahal Kisalon and follow them round to the left and then to the right to arrive back at the parking lot.

The Southern Scenic Route, the Ein Rafa Single Track and the Northern Scenic Route
We leave the Martyrs’ Cave Recreation Area, heading westwards, and start to ascend, following the red trail markings up Nahal Kisalon gully via the entrance gate and B'nai B'rith Cave. Then we turn right to climb up the Southern Scenic Route. After 7.3 kilometers on the Southern Scenic Route we come to a green-marked trail and turn left on to it.

Our route leads us uphill to the top of a saddle before starting to descend, and 500 meters after the saddle we meet up with the Ein Rafa Single Track. The entrance to it is on our right, and we need to pay attention so as not to miss it as we speed downhill.

After turning right we ride along the Ein Rafa Single Track, which leads us through wonderful greenery, tumbles down through the village of Ein Rafa and leads us to the start of the single track at Ein Lamur. After a much-needed coffee break beside the spring we continue along the single track as it climbs up the northern bank of the riverbed gully and continues for another 2.2 kilometers before meeting up with a broad green-marked trail. Here we turn right to follow the green markings to the Northern Scenic Route. As we make our way along it the trail changes its markings to black, and just before it spills into Route no. 38 we turn left along a path that runs parallel to it. Work is underway at present on this section of the route, and we need to take care to ensure that we remain on the right trail. After 1.9 kilometers of cycling on this route we meet up with the red markings of Nahal Kisalon and follow them round to the left and then to the right to arrive back at the parking lot.

KKL-JNF is now planning to extend the Ein Rafa single track by another 5 kilometers and connect it to Kibbutz Tzuba and Moshav Givat Yearim, enabling it to serve as a link that will bind together the different communities and populations of the Nahal Kisalon area.

It’s an open secret that the Southern Scenic Route is the best bet for a bike ride in the snow amid the Jerusalem Hills. When snow falls and the roads to the capital are closed, it’s time to get out the winter equipment, wrap up warm and head for the Martyrs’ Forest. After unloading our bicycles we start the climb up the Southern Scenic Route until we reach the snow. After thoroughly enjoying ourselves we can head back to our vehicle to warm up and change into dry clothes.