Nahal HaShofet

The short trail at Nahal HaShofet, or the Judge's Stream, is a family friendly nature trail near Kibbutz HaZore'a in northern Israel. The circular trail, paved in part with asphalt and in part with wooden planks by the JNF (Jewish National Fund), runs along Nahal Senin - a minor tributary of Nahal HaShofet. Later on the two rivers converge. Nahal HaShofet has a continuous flow almost all year round - a rare phenomenon here in Israel - resulting from the many springs that feed it. Along the trail there are several small bridges, shaded picnic areas, and even an observatory deck overlooking a small waterfall and pool. The entire area is shaded by willows, fig trees, brambles and Field Elm (ulmus minor) - a rare tree in Israel, which grows only next to water and sheds its leaves during winter.

An interesting aside, Nahal HaShofet is named in honour of the American Judge Brandeis who was active in the Zionist movement, seeing it as a solution to antisemitism in Europe and Russia. He supported the establishment of settlements in the 1930s.

Mister Handmade in Israel and I visited Nahal HaShofet during Pesach. We decided to walk the long route, away from the crowds of families with young children, starting with the hordes on the stroller and wheelchair friendly trail along Nahal Senin, and continuing on the path along the bank where the two rivers converge. The flowing stream creates a small waterfall and a pool, and the nearby observatory deck provided us with a great view of this beautiful spot.

Our route took us past a small dam that is part of the station that monitors water flow in the stream, and past two caves. From the large cave, the crowds took the short route back to the car park, but we continued on along a winding route, crossing the river and slowly climbing uphill. Our route passed through a wooded area with beautiful blossoming flowers and proceeded towards wide-open fields. After a while, it twisted to the right, we crossed the river and eventually entered a shady and pleasant grove, at the end of which we arrived back at the starting point of the trail. There we found a place to picnic and enjoyed our Pesach picnic of matzah, chopped vegetables and boiled eggs. 

The hike had been a relatively easy one, but the fields and forests along the river were breathtaking and really made up for the shortness of it. The wild flowers were at their peak (or perhaps just a little past it) and the water in the stream was at a high level. It was a lovely way to spend a beautiful spring afternoon!

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