Horashim Forest is a large green area located on a beautiful hill on the edge of Samaria, overlooking the Sharon region to the west and the 1967 border (“the green line”) to the east. The forest is scattered with several campsites and picnic locations and is very popular among mountain bikers thanks to the many technical “singles” that descend from the hills to Nahal Kana. Its large size, its location in the center of the country close to many large cities, and the variety of travel options it offers make it a perfect place for anyone looking for a bit of nature – close to home.
Technical Details
- Trails map: #7- Sharon and West Samaria
- Location: south of Nirit settlement
- Suitable for: hiking, cycling, traveling by private car and SUVs
- Recommended season: all year round
- Difficulty level: for the whole family
- Admission: free
About Horashim Forest
Horashim forest is the only forest in the Sharon region, located between Oranit to the east, Nirit, Yarhiv, and Mattan to the north, Horashim to the west, and Kfar Bara to the south. The area of the forest is about 2,000 dunams and stretches across two ranges of hills that run from east to west – north and south of Nahal Kana – one of the northern tributaries of the Yarkon, which divides the forest into two. Nahal Kana leaves its mark on the hill landscape creating a canyon route that runs through the center of the forest. Towards the plain, the route of the stream widens and serves as a base for an agricultural area containing plantations encroaching into the planted forest.
The forest was partly planted by the JNF (Jewish National Fund) in the 1950s and has a multitude of natural and landscape resources – mostly pine, cypress, and other broad-leaved trees – alongside rich wild vegetation. If we visit the place at the right time, we might even see some cyclamen hiding among the stones and on the rocky slopes.
At the top of a hill in the northern part of the forest are Zakhor ruins, that was excavated in 1968. Remains from the Iron Age (13th to 11th centuries BC) to the Ottoman period were found there. During the period of the Kingdom of Israel, there was a settlement of the tribe of Manasseh here, and after the destruction of the First Temple, Samaritans lived there. About half a kilometer north of the ruin, two burial caves were found containing remains from the Bronze Age, Herod’s period, and the Byzantine period, including human bones and various ceramic details.
In the heart of the forest, on Givat Zakhor West, there is an observation tower that was erected there to detect forest fires. Due to the height of the tower on the top of the hill, it offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Samaria mountains and the coastal plain.
Hiking Trails in the Forest
As we have already said, Horashim Forest offers a suitable route for everyone.
By a Private Car
There are two main routes in the forest that are about 3 kilometers long: a route that starts about one kilometer north of the entrance to Kibbutz Horesh (behind the sponge factory at the entrance to the kibbutz), from the western entrance of the forest. The route eventually reaches the community settlement of Nirit (marked on the map in green).
Another route (marked on the map in red) starts from the same point and heads south in the center of the forest towards the Ornit campsite, from where it connects (at the intersection of the “Other Land” project) to the green road and to the Hezi Sapir campsite, Mitzpe Horeshim, and Horvat Zakhor and ends in the Nirit settlement.
By an SUV
A travel route suitable for all-terrain vehicles only, about 1 km long, is marked on the map in blue and goes up to the Oren campsite and Bara village. On the site, there is a spectacular view of the forest itself.
Hiking – From the Hezi Sapir Campsite to the Horvat Zakhor Observatory
Hiking on the dirt road from the entrance to the forest will lead us to the Hezi Sapir campsite, a place rich in public facilities and picnic tables, next to which is a circular walking trail with agricultural facilities that pass through the ruins of Zakhor (the same remains of a site from the Kingdom of Israel period that we described in the previous paragraph). Three picnic tables are placed next to the ruin, and in its eastern corner is the Mitzpe Hezi (“Hezi observation”), from which you can look towards Kfar Tholat and Alfi Menashe, and on days of good visibility, you can even see the towers of Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. The site is named after the late Capt. Hezi Sapir, who was killed in service in November 1994.
Cycling Trails in Horashim Forest
The location of Horashim Forest in the center of the country and its proximity to Highway 6 and Highway 5 has made the place an attraction for cycling enthusiasts, who find it an ideal destination for an early morning ride or an evening ride at the end of the work day. For those who come here for the first time, the place is not big, but rich in many cycling trails.
All the trails in the forest are “ridable”, but some of them are not recommended for beginners – some of the cycling trails are dangerous and not recommended for bikers who are not skilled. All the trails have rocky elements, and during the winter, when the ground is wet, riding these single trails is very slippery and dangerous – therefore only recommended for experienced riders.
Getting There
Drive on road number 444 (Kesem interchange – Horashim Junction) until the Horashim Junction. Turn east to road 5333, at the first roundabout continue straight to the kibbutz gates. Turn left up the road (in front of the existing industrial building) and drive about 800 meters to the entrance sign to the forest (a wooden sign with a map of the forest printed on it). Alternatively, you can start the route in the opposite direction on the outskirts of the community settlement Nirit and the Hezi Sapir campsite towards Kibbutz Horashim.
In Waze: “Horeashom Forest”
Recommended season: you can hike in the forest in all months of the year. If you visit it in the autumn or winter season, you will see a wonderful flowering of stone crops and sedges.
The trails in the forest are suitable for everyone – each one can choose how far they want to go and what level of difficulty suits them.
Hezi Sapir campsite is accessible for the disabled and strollers.
More in the Area
And if we are talking about the Sharon region, we cannot fail to mention the Sharon Trail. This long hiking route starts from the beginning of Nahal Alexander and reaches the Sustainability Park in Hod Hasharon.
