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| Distance: 5.3km | Time: 2 hours | Difficulty: Moderate |
| Ascent: 142m |
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I’ll always remember Har Giora, one of the first hikes we tackled back in fall 2018.
It was remarkable because the trail was hidden off the side of a road just twenty minutes from our home. We’d passed by the trailhead hundreds of times…and had never known that a beautiful hiking trail was waiting in the trees.Â
Since that first Har Giora forest adventure to a sheikh’s tomb, we’ve hiked the trail dozens of times – on our own, with friends, and with various children. We’ve also spent a lot of time exploring that area in general, creating all sorts of loops out of the different forest trails.
This past Sukkot, we took a particularly lovely hike with our family in the area. The trail was very similar to the full Har Giora trail, but much shorter. At only about 5 kilometers, this hike was the perfect length for our family of all ages. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the mini-adventure, especially the relaxing picnic in a shady forest.
But we all know what happened last October. After the 7th, I just didn’t have the mental space to write about hiking.
Over the months, I’ve thought a lot about that little hike we took last Sukkot. It was so beautiful, and I thought it was a shame that I had never written it up. So, this week, we headed back to Har Giora to hike the 5K loop trail.
And I’m really glad we did! This hike was perfect for an early summer morning – short, sweet, and with lots of shade.
Here’s how we hiked this trail in the woods:
Familiar Terrain
I’ll be honest – it’s not easy to convince my kids to go hiking with us these days! Something about summer just makes them feel super-duper lazy. They’d rather stay home and read or draw or do nothing at all.
Obviously, that doesn’t stop us from packing up a bag full of goodies and trying to convince them to come along. It’s good for everyone to get outdoors. And we always have fun once we’re out.
So, this past Friday morning, we managed to convince the two youngest boys to accompany us on a short, forest hike. We reminded them how lovely it was on Sukkot and assured them that it wouldn’t be too long or demanding.
Arriving at the trailhead, we were greeted by pleasantly cooler summer temperatures (it was in the low 70’s when we started hiking). Not only that, but the boys could see for themselves that the trail we were starting on was flat and somewhat shaded. Off we headed into the wilderness.
Sights, Sounds, and Smells on the Trail
The first thing we noticed was a fig tree, full of almost ripe fruit. In another week or two, the figs on this tree would make a perfect trail snack. But on that morning, they added a delicious fragrance to the trail.
As we hiked along, we followed beautiful tree-lined paths. The woodland in the area was made up of a mixture of oak, katlav, and terebinth trees. On the edges of the trail, a thick pine forest gave off an otherworldly smell.
At one point, we heard an unusual bird call. Looking up, we saw a large bird of prey circling above our heads.
Looking for that Perfect Spot
It didn’t take long for one of our kids to start clamoring for breakfast. The last time we hiked this trail, we had thoroughly enjoyed a picnic in a densely wooded area, under the shade of immense pine trees. We were hoping to sit in the exact same spot.
So, we started searching. We checked out one patch of pine trees and then the next, hoping to relive last October’s picnic. But our search was unsuccessful.
Eventually, we gave up and chose a different beautiful spot in the trees, on a bed of pine needles under thick shade. And what do you know? It was just as delightful.
I could tell that the world was heating up around us as we sat under the trees eating breakfast. But nobody wanted to leave. So iced coffee led to breakfast led to games of fetch with the border collie.
A picnic in the forest is what made this hike truly memorable, just like last time.
The Hardest Part
Eventually, I was able to pull everyone away from our picnic spot. (I really think they could have just sat there all day!) We left our refuge in the trees and went back to tackle the trail.
At this point, we only had about two hilly kilometers left. But it was late in the morning, and it wasn’t exactly cool. This part was also less shady.
We distracted ourselves by discussing past vacations and vacations yet to come. And we discovered porcupine quills, studied the trees when we stopped in the shade, and took in the beauty of the green vineyards down in the valley.
Eventually, we found ourselves on the path back to that first fig tree. We took a shortcut straight up a cliff (extra climbing fun!), and before we knew it, we were back at the car.
So, What’s the Verdict?
This shortened Har Giora hike ended up being exactly what I was hoping for – a short, quiet, and somewhat shady hike. Just like last time we hiked it, we saw absolutely no one on the trail. Our mini adventure was a great way to spend some quality time in nature, enjoying the classic sights of a Jerusalem area mountain woodland.
Perhaps not surprisingly, this trail looked completely different in the summer sun than on a cloudy fall morning. Who knows how the terrain will be transformed on a rainy winter day or a flower filled spring morning? We’ll most definitely be back at Har Giora to find out.
Hikers’ Notes:
Here’s what you need to know to hike this 5K trail at Har Giora:
Don’t forget to read my guide to the navigational features in this post before you hit the trail!
Trail map from Amud Anan.
