Jerusalem-area hikes accessible by public bus
Jerusalem is usually thought of as that place you go to when you're sick of all those waterfalls and mountains that make up Israel's nature reserve scene. Though the city is known for its holiness to three religions, its vibrant cultural scenes and the fact that it's made out of gold, it is actually also home to some decent hiking. And unlike many of the world's Walden Ponds, much of Jerusalem's varied nature zones are accessible by public transportation.
If you're looking to feel like you're in nature - but not too much - head over to the Gazelle Valley, a 260-square-kilometer reserve within spitting distance of the Trump Towers-esque Holyland apartment complex. Take buses 19, 31 or 32 to Pat Junction, and it will be hard to miss the large plot of (hard fought for) undeveloped land. The Jerusalem Post offers a nice play-by-play of the hike.
One of the few convenient things about Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital is that it backs up to the Jerusalem Forest, meaning that any of the plethora of buses (12, 27, 42, 19 or 153) that ferry people to the hospital and attached Hebrew University satellite campus will also get you to a number of trailheads. From the parking lot of the hospital, hikers can take one of three trails, taking them to Hindak Spring, the quaint village of Ein Kerem (and requisite spring) or for just a quick jaunt around the mountains. Getting off before the hospital at the Kennedy Memorial is also the start of a 5.5-kilometer hike through a number of springs.
Though technically not a city bus, Egged's #183 from Binyanei Hauma to Kibbutz Tzuba will take you yet deeper into the heart of the Jerusalem Forest for a bevy of hikes around Sataf and Har Eitan.
Across town, the Ramot Forest also offers hiking trails up and down the pine treed mountains that surround Western Jerusalem. Buses 11, 7, 35 and 39 all end up at the Ramot Forest entrance in Ramot and from there you can traverse the large open spaces between Ramot and Mevaseret Zion, through Emek Ha'arazim and the recently saved mountaintop lookout of Mitzpe Naphtoach.
Bus 155 from the Central Bus Station will get passengers to the Harel interchange in Mevaseret, which is home to not only a mall, but also the beginning of a 3-hour hike through the hills to Ein Harak, a small spring popular with groups.
Jerusalem's unique location and the extensiveness of the city's public transport system means that a few slices of nature are no more than an hour's bus ride and 5.60 NIS out of your pocket. Happy trails.
Special thanks to the SPNI for research help - a full list of nature spots around Jerusalem can be found here. Photo of Even Sapir courtesy of alexkon from Flickr under a Creative Commons license.
2000+ tips and recommendations
Alright, we'll be the first to admit it. Jerusalem's often chilly and often damp winters don't exactly exude...
In a region known for being one of the first in which early humans settled after leaving Africa, and in a city populated...
Looking for a place to begin your morning in luxury and style? Look no further than the American Colony Hotel, which offers...
Jerusalem, the city where kings ruled and sultans sat is no stranger to luxury. Today, even the visiting yeoman can find...
Jewish tradition holds that in the times of the First and Second Temples, all the Jewish people would gather in Jerusalem...
Technically, it's possible to visit Jerusalem without going to the Old City, but it would be hard to say you'd...
Looking for a place to begin your morning in luxury and style? Look no further than the American Colony Hotel, which offers...
The faithful may rhapsodize about the spiritual highs to be reached in the Old City; culture cognoscenti groove on the...
Once upon a time, options for eating out in Jerusalem were limited to local common phenomena such as falafel and schwarma,...
No results to show
|
Text text text
|
||
