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| Trail Map |  Hike it with Google Earth | Terrain View |
| Distance: 5.95km | Time: 1-2 hours | Difficulty: Easy-Moderate |
| Ascent: 262m |  Trailhead and Markers Gallery |
Some days call for a big adventure…and others call for a short and simple hike near home. This past Friday, after the previous day’s Independence Day festivities, we were hoping to get some quiet time in nature without much of a drive.
As you can imagine, it’s not exactly easy for us to find a new trail close to home. We’ve done a lot of hiking over the years, and the trails nearby are always our first choice. But luckily for us, our local municipality had just put together a brand-new trail: Derech Nof Sovev Gevaot- The Gevaot Scenic Loop Trail . We had seen it advertised over the Passover holiday.
I’ve written about Gevaot in the past. It’s worth mentioning that although there are two fabulous cafes in the area, up until this point, I had never been truly successful at scoping out a well-marked, easy to follow path through the beautiful forests that surround the community.
So Derech Nof Sovev Gevaot sounded like a great plan for that Friday morning. Only 10 minutes away from our home, and measuring in at about 6 kilometers, it seemed like the perfect hike for a low-key, morning adventure.
And it really was. The spring weather was glorious, flowers were blossoming in the forest, and we thoroughly enjoyed this paved, mid-length walk through nature. It was quiet and peaceful. The scenery was spectacular. I can’t say enough good things about this trail.
The mother in me also appreciated the fact that this paved trail was stroller friendly (it was actually designed as a bike trail). I could envision active young parents walking this trail while pushing a toddler in a stroller.
Although we didn’t stop in at either Kashuela Farm or Café BaHursha, this would be an excellent trail to hike in conjunction with a visit to a café with a mission.
Here’s how we hiked Derech Nof Sovev Gevaot:
A Dreamy Beginning
We pulled into the parking lot above Kashuela Farm and searched for the start of the trail. Although this was an official new trail, the start of the path wasn’t completely obvious.
We searched around a bit and found a large map, outlining the trail. Seemed simple enough: just follow the paved pathway in a loop around Gevaot. We set out on our journey through the forest.
It was beautiful outside – cool and crisp, a perfect spring day. Tall, pink hollyhocks grew along the trail, and bees and butterflies buzzed between poppies that lined the side of the road.
Off in the distance, we could see Kashuela Farm, an amazing farm in the forest that houses a café on Fridays, and has camping and nature activities all week long. Kashuela Farm wasn’t on our agenda for that morning – we wanted some quiet time in nature. But we noticed a large family gathering among the teepees and tents at the farm. The group was making breakfast, adults and children enjoying an idyllic morning of camping out in nature. It looked like they were having fun.
Into the Quiet Zone
We continued to follow the asphalt path deeper in the forest. We soon realized that this was a trail we had followed previously…before it was paved. Last time, we had eaten a picnic breakfast from Kashuela Farm, and we had followed this exact trail, deep into the forest.
It felt much more manageable and easy-to-follow now that it was paved. We walked along, enjoying the silence of the forest, the buzzing cicadas, and the sweet fragrance of spring wildflowers that accompanied us along the way.
Eventually, we started scoping out a picnic spot. This wasn’t hard to find. As soon as we started looking, we noticed a flat rock perched above the trail, right next to a cluster of cheery, pink hollyhocks. We climbed up and took out our thermos of coffee.
Quiet Picnic
I can’t imagine a better spot for that Friday morning. Because of the slightly cooler weather, we were very comfortable in a mixture of sun and shade. A gentle breeze blew. We slowly sipped our coffee and ate our muffins down to the last crumb, enjoying the peace and solitude of this hidden forest.
There are some astoundingly beautiful hikes out there, with majestic views and adventurous ascents. This hike had neither of those things. But there’s something special about being able to stop and appreciate the simple beauty of humble mountains, spring wildflowers, and a glorious pine forest.
A Great Walk
When we had finished our coffee, we packed up and set back out on the trail. The entire first part of this hike headed downhill, and we were expecting quite an uphill on the second half of our journey.
We reached the far end of the loop, and the trail began to ascend, slowly and steadily. There was still ample shade provided by the forests around Gevaot, so we didn’t suffer too much as we exerted ourselves.
One could hike the entire loop on the asphalt path. But once we noticed a breakaway trail that led right through the forest, we decided to take it. It was nice to be thoroughly immersed in nature.
Last Stretch
The last stretch of the trail included a view out to an area that we know well – our hometown of Neve Daniel. As we peeked out from the path, we could see the city of Beitar, Nahalin, and Neve Daniel towering up above. It was neat to take in our local terrain from this perspective.
We finished up the trail back at the parking lot, feeling incredibly happy with our choice for a morning hike. It had been a quiet and peaceful couple of hours. And we loved the fact that we didn’t have to face a long drive at the end of our journey.
The Gevaot Scenic Loop Trail is a great choice for hikers, physically fit parents with strollers, and cyclists who love a good ascent. We were so thrilled to discover this brand-new path through a gorgeous forest near home.
Hikers’ Notes:
Here’s what you need to know to hike the Gevaot Scenic Loop Trail:
- This is a circular trail.
- Dogs are allowed.
- This is an all season trail
- This trail is in Judea and Samaria. Please make sure you feel comfortable with your level of personal safety before you hit the trail!
- This trail is pretty easy to follow - there are no major turns or departures from the main asphalt path - but it is not really marked. Use the trail map, Google Earth file, and trail marker gallery to assist you along the way.
- Wear good shoes and bring plenty of water and sun protection to hike this trail.
- Hike this trail on it's own, or combine it with a delicious cafe breakfast at Kashuela Farm or Cafe BaHursha, just minutes from the trailhead.
Don’t forget to read my guide to the navigational features in this post before you hit the trail!
Trail map from Amud Anan.
Questions? Have you hiked the Gevaot Scenic Loop Trail? Let’s hear about it in the comments!
