Water Hikes, Springs and Rivers in Israel (25+ Places)

Water-based activities are an excellent way to beat the heat during summer. In this guide, we will explore water hikes and springs.

Important note: Some streams may be polluted sometimes (usually during the summer). Thus, the pollution level should be rechecked before visiting. Usually, the Nature And Parks Authority (example) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection (example) issue statements.

Water Hikes

Pools in nature, such as Ein Yizrael, that require only a short walk are usually overcrowded. Therefore, I prefer water hikes over springs. Here are my favorite water hikes:

Name	Location	Trail Length	Entrance Fee	Comments
Ein Bokek	By the Dead Sea	3.5 – 4.5 km / 2 – 3 hours	Free	There are short and long trails.
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve	By the Dead Sea	1 – 6 hours	Adult – 28 NIS, child – 14 NIS	There are two entrances. Choose Wadi David and David Fall or Wadi Arugot.
Ein Prat Nature Reserve	Not far from Jerusalem	1 – 6 km / 1 – 5 hours	Adult – 29 NIS, child – 15 NIS	Also known as Wadi Qelt and Nahal Prat.
Nahal Kibbutzim	Beit Shean valley	2.1 km / 1 – 3 hours	Free	There are also water slides, a pool, and a picnic area.
Alona Park (Mey Kedem)	Near Zikhron Yaakov	300 meters / 20 – 30 meters	Adult – 35 NIS, child – 30 NIS	Mey Kedem is an ancient water tunnel in Alona Park, not far from Zikhron Yaakov. And you can walk inside the water tunnel.
Majrase – Betiha Nature Reserve	Near the Sea of Galilee	1.6 km / 1 – 3 hours	Adult – 28 NIS, child – 14 NIS	There is an accessible route and water entrance.
Amud Stream Nature Reserve	Not far from Safed	1 – 6 km	Upper Amud Stream: Adult – 28 NIS, child – 14 NIS Lower Amud Stream: free	There are many different trails at the upper and lower parts of the stream.
Ein Hardalit	Part of Nakhal Kziv Reserve, near Nahariya	1.5 km / 1 – 4 hours	Free
Nahal Zavitan	Near Katzrin	6 – 8 km / 4 – 5 hours	Free	The length depends on the selected trail (lower/upper Zavitan stream).
Yehudiya Nature Reserve	Near Katzrin	Upper Yehudiya trail: 4 km / 3 hours	Adult – 22 NIS, child – 9 NIS	The trails at Yehudiya and Zavitan are not easy.
Jilabun Stream	Near Katzrin	3 km / 3 hours	Free
Ein Tina (Ein Notera)	On the slopes of Golan Heights	0.8 – 2.2 km / 2 – 4 hours	Free	There are also small ponds.
Snir Stream Nature Reserve (Hasbani)	Near Kiryat Shmona	1 km / 1 – 3 hours	Adult – 28 NIS, child – 14 NIS	There are many other trails in this nature reserve.

Notes:

• This list includes only hikes where you can enter the water. For example, at Banias Nature Reserve, you hike along the water, but entering the water is forbidden. If you are near Banias and want to enter the water, you can walk to the Syrian tank (for additional details, see Banias).
• You can find weather statistics and additional suggestions for summer activities at Summer in Israel.
• The places in the list are ordered by location (from south to north).

Springs and Rivers

In this section, we will go over the most popular springs and rivers where people swim.

Name	Location	Entrance Fee	Comments
Haniya Spring	Near Jerusalem	Adult 14 NIS, child 7 NIS	You can find two small pools at this national park.
Ein Hemed National Park	Near Jerusalem	Adult 22 NIS, child 9 NIS	There is a small spring, and it is mostly suitable for younger children.
Tel Afek (Antipatris), Yarkon National Park	Near Petah Tikva	Adult 28 NIS, child 14 NIS	There is a spring with several paddling pools. Young kids love this place.
Hidden Waterfall, Hod Hasharon	Near Hod Hasharon	Free	There is a small waterfall with a nearby pool.
The Lea House	Near Hod Hasharon	Free	Lovely place by the Yarkon River.
Gan HaShlosha (Sahne) National Park	Beit Shean valley	Adult 39 NIS, child 24 NIS	Pools with picnic area and history.
Spring Valley Park: Ein Shokek, Ein Migdal, and Ein Moda	Beit Shean valley	You can walk for free or rent a bicycle/club car.	For additional info, see Nahal Kibbutzim.
Ein Yizrael	Near Afula	Free	Picnic area with a pool in the center.
Ein Aviel	Near Binyamina	Free	You can swim or walk in Nahal Taninim.
Nahal HaShofet	Near Yokneam	Free	Variety of trails (starting from 2km) with several places where you can enter the water.
Alroi Spring	Near Kiryat Tiv’on	Free	A Spring with nearby historical and Valley Railway Station.
Southern Jordan River	Near the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee	Free	Golan Heights, near the intersection of roads #99 and #989
Ein Yivka	Near Kiryat Tiv’on	Free	Ein Yivka, also known as the “Horse Spring,” is one of three springs feeding the Tzipori River. There is a big pool, and you can also hike there.
Horshat Tal National Park	Near Kibbutz HaGoshrim	Adult 39 NIS, child 24 NIS	There is a big pool and various other attractions.
Saar Falls	Golan Heights, near the intersection of roads #99 and #989	Free	Behind Saar Falls, there is a big pool. There are also trails.
Tel Dan Nature Reserve	Not far from Kiryat Shmona	Adult 28 NIS, child 14 NIS	There are many trails, and there is also a wading pool.
Ayun Stream and Tanur Waterfall	Near Metula	Adult 28 NIS, child 14 NIS	There are trails and a wading pool by the lower parking.

Summary

I hope this post gave you new suggestions. And if you have any recommendations, leave a comment 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.