Nahal Shilo Trail

[This trail is a part (the last one) of trail no. 15 on Aviram Barkaee 1st book, "Yotzeim La'shetach", so if you did this 15th trail - you done this taril]

This is a nice and short trail featuring the 'back yard' of Rosh Ha'ayin and the impressive Nahal Shilo. Good for a short Saturday morning trip. It should be noted that the last part of the trail is beyond the Green line. Not very close to Arab villages but still… those not wishing to cross this line can turn back at a point I will specify. Do not enter this trail on weekdays, since it is all inside a firing zone.

Difficulty: not too easy, not too hard, some careful driving while crossing Nahal Shilo is necessary.

Length: 18 km.

Places along the trail: Rosh Ha'ayin, Migdal Zedek, Nahal Shilo, and Paduel Beit Arie Road.

Map: Simun Shvilim Sharon and West Shomron.

Starting point: Coming from Tel Aviv cross the Kesem junction eastbound. Take the first turn right into the new neighborhoods of Rosh Ha'ayin. Go all the way with this road until it ends and sharply turns left. In front you will see a small football ground. Don't turn left. Turn right towards the football ground and take the left path going up the hill. This is the starting point (147500 166100).

Go up with the path. On your right you'll see a big hill with a water tower. After about 700 m on top of the hill, you will see a path going right in the direction of the water tower. Go visit it, there is an excellent view of almost whole Gush Dan (147300 166000).

Go back from the water tower to the main path you came with before you turned right. At this point, turn right on the main road, west. Keep going west with the main road until see in front and to the left a set big quarry (Machtzevot) and a big impressive ruin on the top of the hill south of the quarries. Continue with this main road until it ends in a t-junction on the foot of the ruin. Turn right and go visit the ruin.

Once you get to the big ruin on the hill you can try and get into it. Sometimes the gate is open; sometimes it needs getting over. The effort is worth it. This is Migdal Tzedek, (146000 165200) over looking the ancient Via Maris (the sea trail) going just below us to the west. This tower changed hands over the years, since who ever had it had control over the sea route. It had an Arab Village around it that was erased from the face of the earth in Mivza Danni in 1948.

Go back to the t-junction. Turn back left (north). After 400 m youl'll see a turn right. Take the turn. Go with this path up the hill in the direction of big electricity pylon. After about 900 m, after you turned left with the path, you'll see a junction of paths. Take the one going along the pylons southbound. After 1200 m along the path you will come to a point where two big pylons are overlooking the great vadi of Nahal Shilo (147150 164600).

You will notice the path going down to the vadi from the pylons. Take it, and follow it until you are at the bottom of the vadi. Once down cross to the south side until you hit a black Simun Shvilim. Go with the Simun shvilim eastbound for about 800 m. You are supposed to see on your right a vadi junction, look for a path going into the vadi joining ours from the right (147600 163300).

Take this path. It goes into the vadi and then climbs out of it in a moderate descent. At the end of the climb turn right (west). As you advance you will notice a deserted firing range. Going out of this firing range you will see a wide road going eastbound.Take it.

Few hundred meters along this road you will see two very interesting objects. One will be on your left and one on further ahead and on the right of the road. Guess what they are doing there. At the second object (all right, it's a two storey building) you can stop, have a coffee brake and have a look at the area.

Go back the way you came all the way down to Nahal Shilo (I don't agree that it's boring, the way back never looks the same!). Down in Nahal Shilo, turn east bound along the black Simun shvilim. At some point along the way it will turn red and will leave the vadi. You stick with the Vadi and continue east bound with a blue simun shvilim. Going along Nahal Shilo the walls of the vadi become steeper and the scenery – wild. Nahal Shilo starts near the biblical town of Shilo. It supplies most of the water to the Yarkon River. The flood here is a very impressive site. You might also come across some deer and some eagles and other birds of prey.

About a mile ahead is the green line. Crossing it you will see the outskirts of the Arab village of Dir Baloot on the cliffs on your left. You will also see olive and other plantations along the way. Sometimes the way is getting lost because the farmers plow it but you stick to the vadi any way. This part is also a bit more difficult to drive.

Finally you get to a road. This is where the trail ends. Turn right in the direction of Beit Arie. When coming to a T-junction turn right after about 9 km you will come to Rantis junction and the 444 road.