The Sharon Trail is a 60 km long trail that begins in Nahal Alexander and ends in Hayarkon Park. On the way, it passes quite a few wonderful points such as Hefer Pond, the estuary of the Alexander river, the Poleg River, and Kfar Saba Park. The route, marked with an orange-white trail marker, passes through the center of the country and crosses many wide roads allowing entry and exit to it in various places along with it.
Background
With the marking of the Israel National Trail in the mid-1990s, it passed through the Sharon region along with the National Water Carrier of Israel. However, in the early 2000s (and with the construction of Highway 6 and various railroads), the INT route was diverted west to the beaches of Netanya, Herzliya, and Tel Aviv-Yafo.
In 2015, residents of the Sharon region applied to the Society for the Protection of Nature for a restoration of the sections of the trail in the area. It was a bit challenging, and only in 2017 was the new Sharon Trail route agreed upon. At the end of August 2020, the marking was done on the ground, in white-orange-white colors.
Starting point: Mikhmoret beach (there is parking).
Endpoint: Mekorot Hayarkon, connecting back to the Israel National Trail. A bit after the “garbage mountain” and sustainability park in Hod Hasharon (There is parking there as well).
Length: 60 km.
Difficulty level: Medium. The vast majority of the trail is also fit for cycling!
Trail marking: white-orange-white.
Route Description
The Sharon Trail officially begins at the mouth of the Alexander River at Michmoret Beach, when it connects to the Israel National Trail. After a short walk by the sea, the trail reaches the Samara ruin and the Alexander River National Park and Turtle Park. In this section, until you reach Road No. 57, it is actually parallel to the Israel National Trail route and is therefore marked with an orange dot that accompanies the black trail marker.
We will continue with the walk to “Italy Park”, the flagship park of the Alexander River restoration project. There we will find lawns, gardens, shade sheds, benches, and picnic tables that allow the public to spend time and relax in the vicinity of the creek. From this point, the trail passes near water reservoirs that store rainwater and river water (note, they are fenced for a good reason – entry is prohibited).
The walk along the creek continues until you reach Agamon Hefer (Pond), a wonderful birding site established based on the abandoned fish ponds of Kibbutz Ein Hahoresh. The pools were refilled with purified creek water and around them were built hiking trails and lookout points, which brought the animals back to the area and allowed us to watch them with pleasure, emphasizing the winged animals typical of the swamp environment that characterized the area in the past.
Right next door is the “Vicker Lookout” – a large, shaded terrace that towers over the Mishmar Hasharon reservoir, and allows observation of all the water reservoirs in the area. From there we will continue along the path until we reach Moshav Burgata and Road 57, and after about 19 kilometers of the route along it, the path will finally separate from the Alexander River.
After crossing the road, the path enters Moshav Tnuvot. There, it goes through alleys until reaching a playground. From there, the path leads to dirt roads in open agricultural areas towards the Kadima forest (near the city of Kadima-Zoran). The forest was planted in the 1940s by the British to stabilize the sandy soil. It is mostly planted with eucalyptus trees, and since the area is uncultivated it also serves as a refuge for animals such as foxes and land deer.
From here, the trail continues through the settlements of the Tel Mond area to Moshav Herut. On the way, we will pass the House of the Lord, a house built for Lord Alfred Mond (after whom Tel Mond is named). The place served for some time as the offices of the regional council, but since 1988 has served as the documentation center of Tel Mond and the surrounding area. It is open to the public and allows you to see an exhibition on the history of the settlements in the Tel Mond area, and a display of agricultural tools in the backyard.
From here, we will continue with the path through orchards until we reach the Sde Warburg Cooperative Association, from there we will continue to cross the Poleg stream, and advance east of the Kalmaniya complex and north of Beit Berl, near the national water carrier, to the east of Kfar Saba and Kaplan Forest. The forest is one of the last areas in the city where wild landmarks exist. At this point, it can be seen that the ecological corridor in Israel has shrunk to a width of fewer than 400 meters.
In Kfar Saba, the trail passes through the eastern neighborhoods and the municipal park. In the tunnel, we will cross Road 531 towards the east of the city of Hod Hasharon and the agricultural areas adjacent to it, and through Moshav Edenim and the Neve Neeman neighborhood, we will reach Hod Hasharon Park. The park is an ecological park, which includes a unique system for purifying and restoring water and flowing it to the Yarkon for its restoration, and at its center is the largest ecological lake in the country. The park contains a hill, which was formerly used as the municipal landfill of Hod Hasharon, and today serves as a hiking and vantage point over the park. From the top of the mountain, also known as the “Mountain of Sustainability”, you can also see Hod Hasharon, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and Samaria.
Next, we will continue south with the path between the fields until we reach the bank of the Yarkon River and the Parochia Bridge. At this point, the trail connects back to the Israel National Trail, and this is the end point of the Sharon Trail.
It is recommended to divide the walk into three days (two days for the experienced hikers), with possible accommodation points in the forests of Kadima or Kfar Saba. It is also possible to stock up on food and drink due to the passage near cities and within settlements. For those who want to make the route circular, you can return from here along the Israel National Trail in a northerly direction, thus reaching back to the starting point of the Sharon Trail, on a route that is about 120 km long (and can be done in four to five days).
Map of the Sharon Trail
An official and complete map of the trail can be found in the trail maps of the Society for the Protection of Nature. The map of the Sharon region (map number 7), contains the route of the new and updated trail.
For your use, below is an interactive map of the old route of the trail that contains aerial photography and explanations of points of interest. Although it is not completely updated – the route is the same as the route of the new Sharon Trail up to point 26 – in our opinion, it is very useful, so we chose to add it here.
For a further read – Long Hiking Trails in Israel
