The Yatir Forest

The Yatir Forest is the largest planted forest in Israel and it is located in the least expected place in which one would expect to find a forest: in the desert. In fact, it is situated on the edge of the desert, ending just before the great yellow spaces start to take a bite out of it. The wonderful combination between the Mediterranean grove and the dramatic landscape of the Judean Desert gets a hold of one’s eyes and does not let go. It is truly beautiful out here, especially during the transition seasons, autumn and spring. The fact that this place is not fully packed with visitors even on beautiful Saturdays turn great parts of it to a kind of a private forest. Only you and nature. The Yatir Forest was "born” in the mid 1960s and today its 30,000 dunams are a home to numerous trees such as pine, cypress, acacia, eucalyptus, tamarisk, terebinth, almond, olive, and more. The Yatir Forest also presents quite a few remains which testify to the rich agriculture which flourished in the area in ancient times. Try the "Agriculture Fittings Trail” – a short trail which will introduce you to a wine press, water cisterns, underground cisterns in which the grape juice waited in clay containers to ferment and become wine, and more. Other trails at the Yatir Forest include: the Autumn Crocus (or Meadow Saffron) trail, the Western and Eastern Scenic Routs, the Reservoir Road, and more. Everything is well marked so there is no chance of getting lost. Arrival through road number 31.