Hikes in Nahal Hashofet
The countryside around Nahal HaShofet, also known as the "Judge's Stream," located in Ramat Menashe Park, is exceptionally beautiful with flowing streams, small waterfalls, towering hills, and lush vegetation. Two popular hikes start from HaCharubim Parking Lot — one a short family hike on asphalt paths suitable for strollers and wheelchairs and the other a longer but still easy hike.
In the distant past, the hills of Ramat Menashe were covered with extensive forests of tabor oak. Many years ago, most of this natural forest was destroyed to make way for agricultural land, and the trees were used for construction and firewood. The first members of Kibbutz Hazorea, as JNF workers, began afforesting the Nahal HaShofet area in 1939 and grew pine, cypress, carob and eucalyptus trees. The forest now covers approximately 30,000 dunams.
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Directions and parking: Enter “Nahal Hoshofet” into Waze and click on “נחל השופט – מגרש חניה חרובים.“ This direction will take you directly to the HaCharubim Parking Lot (חניון החרובים), which is the starting point for the two most popular hikes. At the beginning of the exit path for the accessible trail and close to the parking lot are restrooms. There are plenty of benches along the paths, but there are two picnic tables close to the parking lot on the exit path. At popular times, there may be guides who can provide you with a useful Hebrew map on request. The road exiting the park is one-way and winds through the park. Using Waze to your destination is helpful.
Schvil Nagish (accessible) Nahal Hashofet is a 1.5-km circular family hike on an asphalt path that is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. It will take anywhere from ½ hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on how fast your kids walk.
Along the path, are grass picnic areas, splash pools ideal for children to get wet, and look-out areas accessed by concrete walkways that provide opportunities to enjoy the stream and its small waterfalls and the surrounding environment. The Nahal Sanin Pools are ideal for children to swim in.
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At the far end of the trail is the Camel’s Cave. The trail splits and crosses the stream on two bridges and this is where you turn around to the exit path after viewing the Camel’s Cave. The cave is man-made and its purpose is not clear. Other caves you will pass are also man-made, and may have been used for burial caves and then for quarrying and storage. There are ruins of a mill that had two towers and was supplied with water from the stream from higher up, and which you can climb on.
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You will pass the pool of Hashrat Springs.
The KKl map of the שביל נגיש and the longer hike שביל סובב הנחל
The pool of Hashrat Springs
Nahal Sanin Pools
Camal's Cave
The longer circular hike (שביל סובב נחל השופט) from HaCharubim Parking Lot is almost 5¼ km, takes about 1½ hours, and is along well-packed moderately smooth dirt footpaths.
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The trail starts along the accessible trail, but instead of turning back at the Camel’s Cave, you continue straight ahead and at a gate, which is part of Kibbutz HaZorea, the path does a U-turn to the right and continues on the other side of the stream. You will hear kids playing on the side of the stream from which you came.
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You will pass a bridge with stepping stones on your right.
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When you come to a main road for the park, continue straight ahead on this road and follow it as it turns to the right to Farud Parking area. The stream actually flows over this road, but it is not deep at all and you can easily step through it. Alternatively, use the stepping stones at the side of the road.
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At the far end of the parking lot is a trail to the right labelledשביל סובב הנחל (path encircling the nahal). This path will take you by wheat fields and past the bridge you saw from the other side of the stream to HaCharubim Parking Lot and your car.
