Sarig Spring near Jerusalem

The Springs Trail

Visit 5 Springs in one easy Hike. The Springs Trail is an easy circuit between small springs typical to the western slopes of the Judean mountains, located just 15 minutes from Jerusalem city center.

Hike Metrics
Distance9.5 Km
Short versions3.5 - 6.5 Km
Climb170 m
DifficultyEasy
BestDec - Apr
PossibleAll Year
LocationGoogle-Maps-icon-2020
Start PointGoogle-Maps-icon-2020
Start PointGoogle-Maps-icon-2020
Hike Description

BY BUS: Take any bus to Hadassah Hospital Ein Karem. From there it’s a one Km walk on the road until point 5.

Springs in the Jdean Mountains
One of the most delightful thing for walkers on the western slopes of the Judean mountains are the dozens of small springs scattered around the terrain. Most of these springs have a very low flow rate. However, even this small amount of water was crucial to maintain human settlement and agriculture in ancient times. In order to use their water, they were typically fed into a small pool through a channel (constructed from local stones). In some of the springs, these old constructions had been rehabilitated, making them great picnic spots. During this hike, we get the chance to visit sever such springs over a very short distance

Detailed hiking map

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HIKE DESCRIPTION:

  • Starting point –  parking area near Seadim Ruins (1).
  • Start by taking a short tour at the Byzantine ruins of Seadim.
Seadim Ruins
A remnant of a Byzantine farm, olive press, and an ancient mosque that was built later on top of the ruins of the Byzantine buildings. some of the trees around are very old and reach huge proportions. This is due to the belief that trees near a mosque should not be cut down due to the sanctity of the place.

Hirbet Saadim Near Jerusalem

  • Start following the trail with  ‡Green‡ markers.
  • Follow it for about 1.3 Km until our first stop at Uzi Spring. (2)
  • A small pool that collects the water from the nearby spring.
  • This spring and the 2 next ones you will meet are Seep Springs, which are very typical to the Judean mountain.
  • Continue on the  ‡Green‡ markers for 300 m to reach Tamar Spring. (3)
  • The spring & pool were arranged in memory of Tamar Natan.

Ein Tamar, Hiking the springs trail near jerusalem

  • Retrace your steps back to the junction and follow again the ‡Green‡markers going downhill. After about 300 m you will merge with a dirt road and  ‡Red‡ markers.  Continue on it for 150 m unit you meet a paved road. (5).
  • (For the short version Turn left on the ‡Red‡ marked dirt road and follow it for 3 Km all the way back to the starting point.)
HIKE HERE AS PART OF A 4 DAYS TREK TO JERUSALEM
Guided Tour

  • Start at Bet Guvrin National Park.
  • Hike to the Elah Valley
  • Walk in Wadi Ktalav.
  • Hike the Springs trail and end up at Ein Karem (Jerusalem)

Inn to Inn Hiking with Luggage Tranfer

The next section is a 3 Km detour to visit Handak Spring. The water in this spring usually drys out during the summer. Therefore We recommend choosing the short version between July and December.

  • Cross the road walk left for a few meters and then right again on ‡Green‡ markers.
  • Follow it for about 1.5 Km. A few meters after a junction with a ‡blue‡ marker (6), you reach our last spring for today, Handak Spring.

The tunnel in Handak Spring

  • This spring is a “Tunnel” spring.  The ancient tunnel is carved into the rock to reach the source of the water. The tunnel is almost 50 m long and the water depth reaches 1.5 m. It’s a unique experience to walk inside the tunnel!! all the way to its end. (You must use a flashlight)
  • Retrace your steps uphill back to (5) and follow the easy  ‡Red‡ marked dirt road for 3 Km all the way back to the starting point.

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  • GPS Navigation App
  • Zoom Maps for critical areas
  • GPX File
  • Hike Description
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