There will probably be more people than usual flocking to popular springs all over Israel, especially in the Golan Heights.
By MEITAL SHARABITHE OFFICERS’ pool at Ein Jilabun.(photo credit: HADAR YAHAV)
Now that summer has officially begun, we can expect the next few months to be incredibly hot! And there’s nothing more refreshing after a hiking on a summer day than jumping into a natural pool filled with crisp, cool water.Since it is still unclear whether, because of COVID-19, Israelis will be able to fly overseas to escape the heat, there will probably be more people than usual flocking to popular springs all over Israel, especially in the Golan Heights. One of the most well-loved natural springs – and my go-to place for opening the summer swimming season – is Nahal Jilabun. This stream, which flows through the Hula Valley, is still relatively full this time of year, since we enjoyed a copious amount of rainfall this past winter.Like many of the great spots for hiking in the Golan, there are a number of trails to choose from at Nahal Jilabun, so you can pick either a short or long path depending on your capabilities and time constraints. The 3-km. circular path is the most popular trail, and it takes about three hours to complete.THE POOL is a delightful spot to cool off, rest, have a snack or make coffee before continuing on to Jilabun Waterfall (Hadar Yahav)It passes by an ancient Talmudic-era village and two waterfalls: Devora Waterfall and Jilabun Waterfall. This is the most popular trail since you only need one car, which means you don’t need to drop people at the beginning, go with two cars to the end, and then back to the beginning with one car.If you happen to be traveling with two cars, and you’d like to go to the officers’ pool at Ein Jilabun, then you can choose the 5-km. linear path that takes about five hours to complete. Both of these trails are about the same level of difficulty and involve climbing up a steep ascent, so make sure to wear a good hat and bring lots of drinking water with you.Nahal Jilabun is a perennial stream, meaning it has water flowing in it all year round. After a winter with lots of rain, the flow is extraordinarily strong, and even during the summer months, the stream is still flowing nicely. A number of tributaries flow into Nahal Jilabun, and the continuous movement of the water has worn away at the basalt rocks, creating spectacular hexagons visible in the sides of the rocks. You can see this unique natural wonder all along the length of the stream.Nahal Jilabun is named after an abandoned Syrian village nearby that had reused stones leftover from the ancient Jewish community, where disciples of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi had apparently lived in the 2nd century CE. Nahal Jilabun is also known by its Hebrew name: Nahal Devora. The circular trail begins near the ruins of the village, which was most likely built in this spot due to its proximity to the stream.From there, the trail, which is marked with red trail markers, descends toward the riverbed. The trail is very easygoing here, and the descent is not very steep. Soon, you’ll come upon the first split in the path, where you should make sure to continue following the red trail markers. This will lead you down toward the path’s first view of Devora Waterfall.(Hadar Yahav)DEVORA WATERFALL reaches a height of 10 meters and is the smaller of the two waterfalls. At this point, after taking the time to gaze in wonder at the waterfall, you can take the blue trail that leads to the ancient village Kfar Devora. If you’re a history buff, I recommend climbing up to the see the archaeological remains of the village. You’ll also be treated to a great view of the surrounding region. A lintel, which is now located in Golan Archaeological Museum, was found in these ruins, which has an inscription naming it as the Beit HaMidrash of Rabbi Eliezer HaKappar, a disciple of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi.If archaeology is not your thing, you might prefer spending your time swimming in the pool at the bottom of Devora Waterfall. Even if you’re really itching to reach Jilabun Waterfall already, I suggest jumping in the water here just to cool down. To reach the pool, look around for the unmarked path that leads down to the water. This is a great spot to rest, have a snack or make coffee before continuing on to Jilabun Waterfall.When you’re ready, climb back up to the trail and follow the red trail markers. At this point, you can either walk along the path, or walk right inside the stream, which is one of the most fun ways to hike. After about 1.5 kilometers, you’ll reach a spot where the trail forks off into two directions. The blue trail leads back to the parking area. The red trail continues on to Jilabun Waterfall. We’ll follow the latter.Jilabun Waterfall is an incredible sight that should not be missed, with gushing water that falls down from a height of 40 meters. The trail will take you right to the bottom of the waterfall and the large pool below. Just as you saw at Devora Waterfall, here too, the trail leading down to the pool is unmarked. This is one of my absolute favorite pools in the entire Golan region, even when it’s filled with other hikers.This is a great place to take your time and relax. You can swim across the pool close to where the waterfall hits the water, have a picnic and just enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings. When you’re ready to leave, follow the path back up and continue along the red path until you reach the fork in the road.CHOOSE FROM a number of trails at Nahal Jilabun (Hadar Yahav)This time, you’ll want to choose the blue path, which leads to the parking area. This ascent is quite challenging even in cooler weather. In other words, in the summer, it’s quite exhausting, so make sure you bring a lot of water with you on the hike, and leave enough of it for drinking during this last stretch of the way. After you reach the top of the ascent, continue walking along the dirt path until you reach the starting point.Directions: Drive east along Route 91. About a kilometer and a half after you pass Nashut Junction, turn left and drive along the trail with red trail markers. After two kilometers, you’ll come to the parking area from which you can walk down towards Devora Waterfall.Translated by Hannah Hochner.
Related TagsGolan Heightstravel israel
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
