The ammonite wall is an exposed limestone wall located on the southern side of Ramon Crater. The wall is made of stone from the Cretaceous geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago, and it displays a very large concentration of large ammonite fossils imprinted in it. It is a spectacular spot in the desert landscape that reminds us that the place – even though it is very dry today – was once a prehistoric sea full of diverse species.
The hiking route, about 4 km long, offers an easy walk of about two hours (including stops) and takes us through a variety of geological phenomena and wonderful desert landscapes – all within walking distance of the road and car park.
What Are Ammonite Fossils?
ammonite (scientific name: Ammonoidea) is the name that describes a group of marine invertebrates that lived all over the world during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, from 200 million years ago to 66 million years ago, when they became extinct along with the dinosaurs. The ammonites had eight arms and an outer skeleton composed of shells convoluted into a flat coil up to two meters in diameter (!)
The ammonites lived inside a conch and had arms like a squid with which they swam and caught their prey. The shell of the ammonites consisted of a number of separate cells, with a new cell growing and added to them each year. The mature cells were filled with nitrogen gas and would fill or empty as needed thus helping the ammonite to dive or float, just like in a submarine. The horizontal movement was created by a jet stream produced by a muscle in the body. When they died, the gas from the cells was emitted and the ammonites sank to the bottom of the sea, filled with mud, and over time became petrified into the rock that preserved their shape.
The layer of rock we see in the wall is sloped. After sinking, the ammonites were flat horizontally (as they sank to the bottom of the sea), but rose to their present state (angle of about 45 degrees) as part of the geological activity that caused the crater to form.
Ammonite Wall – The Trail
About 40 minutes without climbing to the summit, easy route | About two hours including climbing to the summit, for the well-traveled
From the parking lot (referred to below), we descend to the southwest side of the road and connect to the path marked in red. The path moves away from the road and continues for about 500 meters until it splits into a green path. We will not turn to it, and will continue on the red path for a few hundred more meters until we reach the ammonite wall.
After some observation time at the wall (it is forbidden to climb or take the fossils!) we will go back through the trail marked in and with it we will return to the car, the same way we came.
For those who are interested, this time you can continue with the path marked in green (which we “gave up on” on arrival) in order to continue towards the southern walls of Ramon Crater through a more challenging and experiential walk in the creek channel.
From here, the trail will climb a short ascent (but not so easy and quite steep) to reach the summit of 660 (named after its height). At the summit, we will have a spectacular 360-degree view of the Ramon Crater, and it is recommended not to give it up.
We will continue down the path marked in green and reach the observation point to the “inverted wall”, a wall that rose in the same way as the ammonite wall (due to the “Ramon fragment”) but this time at an angle greater than 90 degrees, which gave it the nickname “inverted wall”. After a few hundred meters we will connect to the path marked in red which will continue down until back to the road.
How to Get To the Ammonite Wall
The ammonite wall is on the south side of Ramon Crater, beyond the crater on its outer sides. Access to it is from a parking lot next to Road 40, between the 84th and 85th kilometers, about 14 kilometers south of the last square of Mitzpe Ramon.
Is It Possible to Take Fossils?
The answer is simple – no.
In most cases, you will probably not find “loose” fossils that can be picked up or collected unless you plan to skip the more “touristy” part of the trail and really look to find them. Even if you do find a fossil lying around, it is important to remember – fossils are protected natural values, and if you are not a licensed fossil researcher, they must not be taken, and certainly not broken from the wall!
More in the Area
Here is a map of the other attractions in Ramon Crater:
Also: part 37 of the Israel National Trail passes by the Ammonite Wall.