The Ruhama Badlands Reserve is sometimes defined as the “Tuscany of Israel”, and offers spectacular views of open and endless fields, kurkar ridges, and ravines (an area with steep slopes created by water). In addition, in the reserve, we will find the “Lonely Tree”, a special and impressive tree that is considered a center of pilgrimage for many photographers.
The Ruhama Badlands Nature Reserve is located near Kibbutz Ruhama in the western Negev and offers a wide variety of jeep routes, biking, or hiking trails through a spectacular area of endless open spaces. The place is especially recommended for a visit during the flowering seasons after the rains (spring period, and the time of the famous “South Red” festival), where it is filled with the wonderful blooms of anemones, bulbs, and safflowers.
As mentioned, the reserve has two parts – we will discuss both.
The Ruhama Badlands
The Ruhama Badlands Reserve is a nature reserve in the area of Kibbutz Ruhama in western Negev. The area declared as a nature reserve includes two non-contiguous areas, east, and west of the kibbutz. The eastern part of the reserve is characterized by a landscape of badlands (hence its name) – an area with steep slopes that have been cut and excavated for thousands of years by water – while its western part is characterized by kurkar ridges and open landscape.
The Ruhama, Dorot, and other tributaries of the Shikma River pass through the reserve. These seasonal streams dug into the loess soil and created ravines in a relatively flat area, exposing the kurkar soil beneath the loess layer.
The vegetation in the area is typical of the Mediterranean – most days of the year the reserve is relatively arid, but in the winter and spring season (January – March) it is filled with masses of anemones, bulbs, safflowers, and sometimes orchids, Israeli irises and branched asphodel.
Getting to the Reserve – The Eastern Side
To reach the reserve itself, take Route 232 south to the Ivim junction. At the junction, turn left onto Road 334 (in the direction of Rahat and Beit Kama). Continue driving until you reach a left turn with signs for Ruhama Badlands (about a kilometer after Kibbutz Ruhama). Getting around the reserve can be done by car, with the dirt road accompanied by red trail markings.
In Waze: “Ruhama Badlands Reserve”
Inside the Reserve
After turning at the entrance to the reserve with the path marked in red, we will continue driving with it for about 2.5 km until we reach the connection with the trail marked in blue. At the right time of the year – the spring period and the “South Red” festival – this point will offer you a spectacular view with wonderful anemone carpets.
Continuing to drive from this point for another kilometer to the north will lead us to the lone tree.
The Lone Tree in Ruhama Badlands
One of the most prominent attractions in the Ruhama Badlands Reserve is a tree located in the heart of the plains, far from its fellow trees, and therefore earned the nickname “the lone tree”. The special beauty of the place has made it an attraction for amateur and professional photographers alike, for selfie lovers, and even for drone operators.
The lone tree can be reached in several different routes (on foot, by car, or by bicycle). For an exact location you can input in Waze: “The lone tree in Bitronot Ruhama” (In Hebrew: העץ הבודד בתרונות רוחמה).
From this point, you can return the same way we came (back to the main road), or continue driving with the path marked in blue to continue through the landscape. Further down the road are pleasant seating areas that offer a view of the reserve, so if you have the time it is recommended.
How impressive is it? It seems to us that the following short video conveys the message:
The Western Side of the Bitronot Ruhama Reserve
The western side of the Bitronot (Badlands in Hebrew) Ruhama Nature Reserve can be entered on a dirt road that exits the entrance gate of Kibbutz Ruhama and is marked with a black trail marker. The road continues to the cattle crossing and from there connects to the red trail and passes through a route that connects to the Khirbet Jamma Reserve – another nature reserve located opposite the western part of the reserve – where you can see the remains of villages, cisterns, and even a mosaic floor. But that will be the subject of another post…
In this part of the reserve, there are several single routes for cyclists and car routes that reach the “Fire Tower”, an observation tower of the JNF (which is closed to the public, but also at its foot you can see a beautiful view of the reserve and its surroundings).
When to Arrive, and Other Things to Know
As we have already mentioned, the best time to visit the reserve is in the winter and spring months – January to March – when it is full of wonderful blooms. The rest of the year the reserve is relatively arid.
It is important to note and take into account that after rains the roads in the reserve may be muddy. If you are with a vehicle that is not a 4X4 or you are not skilled in muddy off-road driving, it is not recommended to get to the reserve directly after the rain.
It is also important to clarify that it is forbidden to have a picnic or camping inside nature reserves (certainly not on the anemone fields themselves). On the other hand, it is allowed to have a picnic on the side of the road, and there are quite a few forests and parking places in the area for this purpose.