Millions to visit nation's parks during Passover holiday

Nation's parks preparing trails and campgrounds for expected 2 million visitors during the Passover holiday week.

By SHARON UDASIN
Silva Mediterranea Officials Visit KKL-JNF Forests (photo credit: KKL)
Silva Mediterranea Officials Visit KKL-JNF Forests
(photo credit: KKL)
Several million hikers and picnickers will take to the countries parks this Passover week, necessitating great preparation ahead of their arrival.
Based on figures from last year’s Passover holiday and intermediate days, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) estimated that about 2 million visitors would come to the organization’s parks around the country. Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA ) likewise predicted that approximately 2 million people would head to its national parks and nature reserves this year. Last year, INPA reported about 1.2 million visited during the week, and KKL-JNF reported more than 2 million.
Over the course of the holiday week, KKL-JNF said it will be offering free entry to all of its forests and parking lots, and will be offering a number of public tours and events for children and families. Guided walking tours will occur at Hamalachim Forest near Kiryat Gat, British Park in the Judean Plain, American Independence Park near Beit Shemesh, Sataf in western Jerusalem, Ayalon Canada Park in the Sharon region, Biriya Forest in the Upper Galilee, Blue Valley Park in Safed and others.
Additional guided tours at KKL-JNF sites will take place during overnight tent events at Ilanot Forest east of Netanya and at Hula Valley, where bird-mating season has begun. KKL-JNF workers have been working to prepare bike paths, hiking trails and campgrounds for the mass arrival of visitors over the holiday, the organization added.
The INPA also has numerous activities taking place around the country for the duration of the holiday, ranging from sand sculpture contests at Beit Yannay and Palmahim beaches to several festivals at national parks.
Stressing that these were only estimates, the INPA said that among its busiest sites will likely be the two sculpture competitions, Roman festival activities at Beit She’an, Vulture Day at Mamshit and all of the parks with water – Nahal Snir, Majrase and Gan Hashlosha (Sakhne) National Park.