In and around Jerusalem


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  • Summary of walks in JerusalemClick to open the Summary of walks in Jerusalem menu
    • The City of David
    • An introduction to the Old City
    • The Jerusalem Archaeological Park, Davidson Center and the Western Wall
    • On the Temple Mount
    • The Jewish Quarter - community building, destruction and renewal
    • The northern Rampart of the Old City wall and the Via Dolorosa
    • Mount Zion via the southern rampart of the Old City wall
    • Nachla'ot and Mahane Yehuda Market ('the Shuk")
    • Teddy Kollek - a great builder of Jerusalem
    • Ein Kerem and its artisans via the Jerusalem Forest
    • Yemin Moshe to Nahalat Shivah
    • Givat Ram - birds, roses, the Supreme Court and Knesset
    • The German Colony and Liberty Bell Park
    • Jerusalem during the British Mandate - from Mamilla Mall to the First Station
    • Pioneers of modern Jerusalem - Dr. Ticho, Ben-Yehuda and Rav Kook - in the city center
    • The Sherover and Haas Promenades and water supply system for Second Temple Jerusalem
    • The haredi neighborhoods of Zikhron Moshe and Meah She'arim
    • The gorgeous Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
    • Nature walk: the Cedar Trail in the Jerusalem Forest.
    • Nature walk: Gazelle Valley Park
    • The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
    • A countryside hike on the Gazelle Trail in the Ramot Forest
    • Mount Scopus - its university, botanical garden and lookout points
    • The Mei Neftoah (Lifta) Nature Reserve and Arazim Valley Park
  • The Judean Mountains (west of Jerusalem) - Summary of hikes and overviewClick to open the The Judean Mountains (west of Jerusalem) - Summary of hikes and overview menu
    • The Shvil Hamaayanot and Yad Kennedy memorial
    • To Ein Kerem via Ein Hindak and the Ein Kerem National Park
    • The springs of Emeq Refaim
    • From Tzomet Ora (near Hadassah-Ein Karem) to the springs of Ein Lavan and Mayan Itamar in Emeq Refaim
    • Ancient agriculture in Sataf
    • The unusual cave formations in Nahal Halilim
    • To Tzuba Spring and the crusader ruins of "Belmont"
    • To Ein Hindak and Ein Bichura in the Sataf Reserve
    • The spring of Ein Kobi and the luscious ravine of Nahal Kobi in the Begin Forest
    • The beautiful Nahal Katlav
    • Outpost 21 via the historic Burma Road
    • Hiking above Nahal Sorek
    • The spring of Ein Hod and Crusader castle at Hurvat Beit Itab
    • Derech HaKaiser (The Caesar's Way) and overlook of Nahal Zanuach
    • Castel National Park
    • HaHamisha Forest and visit to the Harel Brigade Monument In Har Adar
    • Hiking or biking around Har Eitan
    • The HaHamisha Forest and Ein Kfira spring
  • IN THE SHEFELAH (LOWLANDS) - Summary of Hikes and OverviewClick to open the IN THE SHEFELAH (LOWLANDS) - Summary of Hikes and Overview menu
    • Hiking to Tel Azeka
    • A walk to the ruins of Qeiyafa - Goliath will you please stop hollering?
    • To the ruins of Quiyafa from the Elah Valley
    • Tel Tzafit and the Philistines
    • Neot Kedumim and agriculture in ancient Israel
    • A circular hike around Givat Hatourmusim (Hill of Lupins)/ Tel Socho
    • Tel Adulam
    • Hiking in the Bet Guvrin-Maresha National Park
    • The ancient synagogue at Um el-Umdan, Sher Hill, and the Maccabees of Modi'in
    • Midras, Itri and the Bar Kochba Revolt
    • Discovering the Roman city of Emmaus in the Ayalon Canada Park
    • Burgin
  • The Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley - Introduction, summary of hikes, and attractionsClick to open the The Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley  - Introduction, summary of hikes, and attractions menu
    • Attractions from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, including Ma'ale Adumim
    • A nature walk In the wadis of Maale Adumim
    • Ein Prat Nature Reserve
    • Ein Mabu'a
    • Ein Qelt
    • Nahal Og
    • Qumran
    • Enot Tsukim/(Ein Feshkha for swimming and nature stroll
    • The Botanical Gardens in Kibbutz Ein Gedi
    • Nahal David, Ein Gedi Spring and ancient synagogue at Ein Gedi
    • Ein Gedi - Nahal Arugot
    • Along the Jordan Valley
    • Qasr el Yahud National Park
  • South of Jerusalem - Herodium, Gush Etzion Springs and Nahal TekoaClick to open the South of Jerusalem - Herodium, Gush Etzion Springs and Nahal Tekoa menu
    • Herodium
    • The Gush Etzion Springs
    • Nahal Tekoa
  • North of Jerusalem - Nebi Samuel, Beth El, and ShiloClick to open the North of Jerusalem - Nebi Samuel, Beth El, and Shilo menu
    • Nebi Samuel National Park
    • Beth El - the place of a dream
    • The Tabernacle at Shilo
  • Fun family cycling in the Judean Mountains, Shefelah and Judean DesertClick to open the Fun family cycling in the Judean Mountains, Shefelah and Judean Desert menu
    • From the First Station to Ein Lavan and Ein Haniya
    • A desert ride around Ma'ale Adumim
    • The Arazim bicycle trail from Arazim Valley Park
    • Spectacular views from the Aminidav Forest and Yad Kennnedy
    • The Burma Road in the Shefela
    • From Tzafririm to the ruins of Itri in the Adulum Park - a village frozen in time
    • In Adulam Park - views, lupins and tels
    • Britannia Park and Tel Azeka
    • A ride around Har Eitan
  • Horseback riding close to Jerusalem
  • Outdoor swimming in spring-fed pools and swimming pools in and around JerusalemClick to open the Outdoor swimming in spring-fed pools and swimming pools in and around Jerusalem menu
    • The Zippori Center in the Jerusalem Forest
    • The "Country Club "in Ma'ale Adumim, the most beautiful city in Israel
    • Ein Hemed National Park (Aqua Bella) - swimming, picnicking and fortified Crusader home
    • The Palm Pool at Ein Prat
    • The artesian pool at Ein Mabu'a
    • The Sport's Club at Ramat Rachel
    • Mesilat Zion swimming pool
    • Ein Lavan
    • The spring-fed pool of Ein Haniya
    • Swimming in Shoresh in the Judean Mountains
    • The swimming pool at Kibbutz Almog close to the Dead Sea
    • Swimming at Enot Tsukim/ Ein Feshkha by the Dead Sea
    • A natural-style rock pool by Mevo'ot Yericho in the Jordan Valley
    • The spring pool in the Mei Neftoa (Lifta) Nature Reserve close to the Central Bus Station
    • The kids pool at Rechelim
  • A timeline of Jerusalem and list of essays on this website
  • Outdoor trips suitable for a stroller or wheelchair
  • Common flowers in the Judean Mountains
  • Trees, bushes and flowers of the Desert
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NATURE WALK: Gazelle Valley PARK



Developing Gazelle Valley Park was a struggle involving real estate developers versus local citizens, environmental organizations and the press who wanted to preserve this natural piece of land. The greens won - with a bit of help from town hall. This is a wonderful place for kids to learn about plants, trees and wildlife. And with a bit of luck they may even see some gazelle.

Gazelle Valley Park is designed to be a natural reserve in which wild life and human visitors can exist in harmony. It contains a herd of Israeli Mountain Gazelle that once lived on the slopes of Beit Hakerem, Malha and Emek Rephaim, but who were trapped by construction of Begin Highway. The gazelles are now protected in the park. Some of the water for the pools in the park comes from surface run-off water and is somewhat polluted. Therefore, the water is cycled and pumped from the lower pool back to the upper pool where it is purified by natural filters. This area was once an apple orchard and there are efforts to bring back these and other trees. 


Are you finding this website useful? You will find my new book “In and Around Jerusalem for Everyone,” even more helpful. It is a guide to the best walks, hikes and attractions in and around Jerusalem. For more details, incredible reviews and purchasing options see the Home page.

But before you do this, check out the short video below!


 

BACKGROUND

GAZELLE AND IBEX

Gazelles are antelopes. They are seen in most parts of the country other than the coastal plain. Two species are found in Israel. The Mountain gazelle is seen in the northern two-thirds of the country and the Negev gazelle in the southern desert. The gazelle is known in Hebrew as the tzvi (צבי). It is fawn to dark-brown in color, but its buttocks and belly are pure white. This is very noticeable when it runs away from you - which it is likely to do as it is a very shy animal. The horns of the male are long and straight, whereas those of the female are shorter and may be bent, crooked or broken. Gazelle are best seen at dawn or early evening - so that if you go to the reserve/park in the daytime, you may not even see them.

The gazelle should not be confused with the ibex, which is a wild goat seen around springs in the Negev and Judean desert. It is known in Hebrew as the ya'el ( יעל). It has long thin horns which extend up, back and then down. In males they can be as long as a meter in length, while they are shorter in females.  


 

Distance: 2¼ Km

Time: Allow at least 45-60 minutes to walk through the park, and more time to observe, explore or just relax on the deckchairs provided.

Starting point: The park is on the outskirts of Givat Mordechai. By car, turn off Harav Herzog Street onto Shehal St., and then follow the signs to Gazelle Park. (On Waze :enter "Gazelle Valley" or עמק הצבאים. Park at the entrance to the park. 

Public transport. Many buses pass by the park, namely 5, 6, 17, 19, 19A, 32, 32, 42, 851 and 267. From the bus stop, cut through to the park from Harav Herzog Street or head towards the entrance to the park.

Difficulty: This walk is on flat paths and dirt roads. It is very stroller and wheelchair friendly. There is a playground area just outside the park.

  • At the entrance to the park is a visitor’s center where one can obtain a map of the park.
  • Stroll on the paths, read the signposts about the nature in the park, look at the pools and the central protected area where the gazelle live, and relax on the benches by the water. 

 

Overlooking the Big Lake. One can hear the buzz of traffice in the distance. Nevertheless, this is still a great park to view nature, to take the kids for a walk, or to just relax by the water.

 

 

 


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arnoldslyper@inandaroundjerusalem.com