Hod HaSharon Park – Park by Ecological Lake – Visitors Guide
Hod HaSharon Park offers a lovely hike along the ecological lake, a climb on the top of the former waste dump, and a place for a picnic.
Note: This park is also called Hod HaSharon Ecological Park and Hod HaSharon Lake Park.
Table of Contents
- 1 Basic Info
- 2 Map
- 3 Parking
- 4 Walking Routes
- 5 Opening Hours
- 6 Entrance Fee
- 7 Contact Information
- 8 About
- 9 Dogs
- 10 Hod HaSharon Lake Park Coffee Shop
- 11 Facilities at the Park
- 12 Picnic
- 13 Garbage Mountain
- 14 Birds at Hod HaSharon Park
- 15 Additional Birdwatching Places
- 16 Other Animals
- 17 Hod HaSharon Lake Park at Night
- 18 Anemone Hill
- 19 Municipal Parks in the Sharon Area
- 20 Common Questions
- 21 Summary
Basic Info
| Opening Hours | Always open. There are no fences and no gates, and there is also artificial light. |
| Location | End of HaHarash Street |
| Parking | Free Parking |
| Rating on Google | 4.6 based on 7,700 reviews |
| Visit Duration | 1 – 3 hours |
| Walking Trail | Walking trails: 2 and 6.5 km. Running track: 1.2 km |
| Barbeque | Starting a fire and having a BBQ at Hod HaSharon Park is forbidden. |
| Restaurants | Lali Coffe Shop (mostly pizzas) |
| Restrooms | There are toilets by the coffee shop |
| Playground for kids | None. But there are several fitness complexes. |
Map
The park is located in the south of the city. It is behind the industrial sector, not far from road #5. You can reach it by driving along HaHarash Street till the end. Or you can enter “Hod HaSharon Park” into Waze.
Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit
Interactive map of the area:
Offers:
- Hotels, hostels, and apartments in this area:
- Buy photos of Israel and support this blog.
- Get 10% off for your next tour at Bein Harim with coupon code LEV10#12306.
Map of the park and its surroundings:
Note: You can click on the map to enlarge it.
Here is the map of the park:
And here is how the park looks from “Garbage Mountain.”
Parking
There is free parking near the park. As you can see in the photo and the map above, there are two parking areas. One is near HaHarash Street, and the other is by Derech HaYam. These parking lots are connected by a dirt area where people also park.
Walking Routes
On the following map, you can see two walking paths. The length of the short blue trail is 2 km. And the size of the red path is 6.5 km.
If you are running around the lake, the route length is about 720 meters.
Note: In February 2023, a new loop running track was opened. Its length is 1.2 km. You can see it in the photo below.
Opening Hours
Always open. There are no fences and no gates. Therefore you can visit at any time. There is also artificial light.
Entrance Fee
Free.
Contact Information
Phone: 053-775-2565
Email: chaimon@calcalit-hod.com
Facebook Page: link
About
Hod Hasharon Park is an urban nature park created for people to enjoy while maintaining a rich flora and fauna world, once typical of the Yarkon River and the Sharon region landscapes. The park is home to a delicate ecosystem based on treated wastewater. You will find a large ecological lake and a flowing tributary of the Hadar Stream, a birdwatching blind, pedestrian paths, and cycling trails.
When development is complete, the park will cover 1,400 dunams (140 hectares). Among the plans for the park are fitness and playground equipment and a picnic area.
Source: sign
Since I showed the photo of the sign, there are several things I should mention. First of all, it is forbidden to start a fire and make BBQ at Hod HaSharon Park. Secondly, swimming and fishing are not allowed. And thirdly I should mention the facilities.
Dogs
Entrance with dogs to the park is allowed, but dogs should be on a leash. And many people visit the park with their dogs, especially on weekends and holidays.
Hod HaSharon Lake Park Coffee Shop
You can find Lali cafe near the main entrance (#1 on the map).
This cafe specializes in pizza, and here is their menu:
This place appears in Best Food Trucks in the Sharon Area. And if you are interested in other similar sites, see that list.
Facilities at the Park
Besides the cafe, there are benches and restrooms. Also, keep in mind that the park is constantly upgraded.
In 2021, a new fitness complex was installed.
And in 2022, two sand volleyball courts were added.
But there are still no playgrounds for kids.
Picnic
Several picnic tables were installed. But most people do picnics on the grass. However, since most trees are young, the park has little shade.
Note: During Saturdays and holidays, many people arrive at the park. Thus, if you plan on having a picnic, I suggest coming before 10:00 to get a good spot.
Garbage Mountain
The trail to climb to the garbage mountain begins in the west. It means you must go along the asphalt road to the back of the hill. And there you will see the following building.
The British built a school (1929 – 1944) for the children of Bedouins living in this area. This building was not restored yet.
After a short climb (you can do it with a baby stroller), you will get to the top of the garbage mountain.
From the top, you get views of all the surrounding areas. But since the park is the closest, it is in the most impressive direction.
Birds at Hod HaSharon Park
There are birdwatching blinds and a tiny island for birds. Thus, it should be the perfect place in theory. But this is a municipal park, and there are lots of people. If you can, I suggest arriving at sunrise (during those hours, the birds are active, and there will be few people).
Note: Over the years, more birds started arriving in this park. And during each visit, I see at least several bird photographers on the bridges.
Here are two signs telling about the animals:
However, here are several of my photos from my evening walks.
Additional Birdwatching Places
If you love birds, check out the following places:
- My favorite places to see bird migration:
- Lovely short family hikes to see birds:
- Agamon Poleg – Short Birding Family Trip around Lake Udim
- Agamon Hefer – Visitors Guide – Bird Watching Park near Netanya
- Hod HaSharon Park – Park by Ecological Lake
- Taninim Stream Nature Reserve
- Hula Nature Reserve and Agamon Hula versus Hula Nature Reserve – Which one is Better?
- Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center
- Ein Afek Nature Reserve and Bird Ringing at Ein Afek Nature Reserve
- For people who love parrots:
Additionally, see Zoos and Aquariums in Israel – Full Review (Overview of 30+ places)
Other Animals
And here are several additional photos from the park.
Photo of the ecological lake and the garbage mountain that will be restored in the future.
Hod HaSharon Lake Park at Night
The park is illuminated at night. The wooden bridges have small lamps attached to the floor. Here are several photos:
The walking paths are illuminated as well. Thus, you can use them after dark as well. But if you plan to visit at night, I suggest taking a bug repellant.
Anemone Hill
On the map above, you can see Anemone Hill by garbage mountain. As you probably know, the best time to see anemones is from the end of January till April. We visited Anemone Hill at the end of January 2022, and there were very few flowers.
A big part of the hill was converted into an agricultural field.
And if you love flowers, I will mention that you can find daffodils inside the park by the lake (and in season).
Municipal Parks in the Sharon Area
Here are several municipal parks from the Sharon area:
Also, you can find Big Petah Tikva Park, which is a little to the south.
Common Questions
You can find Lali Cafe, which specializes in pizzas. It is located near the main entrance.
There are plenty of birds at the park. You can see the photos above.
Starting a fire and making BBQ at Hod HaSharon Park is forbidden.
Yes, you can have a picnic. But since there are few tables, most people do picnics on the grass. However, since most trees are young, there is little shade in the park.
There are several free parking areas nearby, and you can see them on the map above.
There are two walking routes, and the path around the lake also has a bicycle road.
Yes, there are paved paths in the park.
The entrance is free, and it is always open. You can visit at any time.
You can visit the park with dogs, but dogs should be on a leash.
There are toilets near the main entrance.
Summary
Hod HaSharon Park is not finished, but it is already a beautiful place to visit. A short walk around the lake usually takes 10 – 30 minutes (you can always make it longer using one of the mentioned paths), and climbing to the former waste dump ordinarily takes 15 – 40 minutes. Most of my visits were family visits with small children. And we explored the lake area for about 1 – 2 hours.
Have you ever been to this park? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!
Stay Tuned!
Additional Resources
Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:- Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
- What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
- Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
- Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
- If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.
