Route type: Circular
Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: ~5.5 km
Waze: 32.9731821, 35.462871
Notes:
- Good for dogs
- 25 minute descent/ascent to/from creek – exposed with only a little shade
- Take towels, bathing suits, water shoes
- Take at least 1.5 liters of water
I knew it was going to be a hot Friday. Very hot. But I needed to get out and the idea of sitting IN a cool, gurgling brook sounded soooo refreshing and appealing that I was prepared to drive just about anywhere to find one.
I grabbed a friend and we drove 2 hours and 10 minutes north to Nahal Amud. This creek is actually part of the Israel National Trail so I had walked along it before but had never spent any time there as a destination in and of itself.
This 5.5 km loop trail which is very near Tzfat, is within the bounds of a nature reserve so there is an entrance fee. The reserve does not open until 8:00 am and it closes at 16:00 (last entry). According to their website, they still require you to register ahead of time like in the good ol’ Corona days but once we got there, no one checked that we had a reservation.
The red trail that takes you down into the wadi/ravine starts at the parking lot where there are facilities – bathrooms, kiosk with drinks and ice cream, picnic tables, garbage cans and recycling bins.
The red trail is fairly exposed with not much shade so it’s good to get going as early as possible so you only have to suffer from heat on the return climb out.
One of the first landmarks you come upon is this structure – an abandoned British Mandate police headquarters from the 1930s which was in use during the Arab Revolt (1936-1939). The south side of the structure is riddled with bullets from some previous battle(s) as were the metal plates that swung down to protect the open windows. Right at the base of this building, the red path makes a sharp bend to the left and down you go!
It takes 20-25 minutes to descend the red trail which is mostly made up of very rough steps either laid or cut into the side of the hill. There is a handrail along some of the path.
As hot, brown and dry as everything is already, the summer flowers are out.
At 8:30 am the heat was already intense however once down in the shady ravine it was pleasant.
At the end of the red trail you will meeting a junction with the black trail. Here there is a shallow spring called Ein Yakim. It is next to a structure which, presumably, was an old pumping station. At this sign, turn right along the black trail.
At the next junction (black/blue trail) keep to the right on the blue trail – the creek will remain on your left.
Pass a number of old flour mills….
….as well as an old, empty reservoir, which at one time was used to water the agriculture in the area…
….and a beautiful, defunct stone fountain.
Irrigation channel in which water still flows.
Bright sparks of electric blue, ruby red and emerald green in the shape of dragonflies flitted all around us.
All along this blue trail and the black trail on your return, there are numerous easy access point to enchanting and enticing pools – some shallow, some deeper. Every pool was teeming with sparkling grey and silver fish of all sizes.
Continue on the blue trail until you reach your final destination which is the Sechvi Pools. It is a very popular location and the trails are well-marked and sign posted. The water in these pools is from ankle to knee deep.
It was lovely to have a couple of hours to sit here in the freezing cold water, leaning against a huge boulder in the sun, letting the music of the gurgling creek fill us up. I wish I could bottle that sound and take it home with me! I got so sleepy I HAD to lie down.
At 13:15, we reluctantly decided it was time to make a move in the direction of the car and home. We crossed the wooden bridge to the opposite side of the creek and made our way back in the direction we’d come but this time along the black trail, encountering more charming pools along the way.
Once we’d returned to Ein Yakim, we knew this was our last opportunity to cool off and to prepare ourselves for the ascent in 36 C/96 F heat so we lay down in the shallow water to drench ourselves from head to toe. I filled my hat and with a shriek and a shiver, dumped several hatfulls over my head.
The climb out was hot but at this hour, the trees on either side of the path were throwing enough shade to stop in every 20 meters or so to cool off and let our heart rate slow down. We slowly made our way back up, making sure to drink a lot on the way.