Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The ride
From the visitor centre car park at the entrance to Timna Park (פארק תמנע), follow the Mines singletrack, signed one way, anticlockwise. It runs north into the Sasgon valley under the northern cliffs, west round Mount Mikhrot and along the foot of the western cliffs past the rock engravings of the Chariots site and the Arches, then south and east through the southern valley to Timna Lake. From the lake it passes the Hathor temple at Solomon's Pillars and heads back north and east beside the park road to the visitor centre.
It is 33.2 km round with 577 m of climbing; allow about 4 hours of riding. The grade is Hard: long, rough desert singletrack, with a technical descent through a slot at the Berech ascent and sandy stretches laid with boardwalks.
There is no shade at all and nowhere to refill for about 25 km, between the entrance and the lake: carry all your water, at least 3 litres each and more in warm weather. Start at 08:00. The park does not hire bikes from July to September. Do not ride when rain is forecast for the southern Arava.
Riding is inside the paid park: buy a ticket (adults 39 NIS) and sign the park's rider waiver, both valid a week. Bike trails are open from 08:00 to 15:30.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The loop circles the whole Timna valley, mostly under the cliffs that ring it on three sides.
- The Chariots site has rock engravings of chariots, people and hunting scenes from the 14th to 12th centuries BCE.
- Timna holds thousands of ancient mine shafts and Egyptian-era smelting sites.
- Planned by Erez Lotan and built under Yaron Dar'i, with stone walls and boardwalks that keep climbs gentle and sand rideable.
Getting there
Start: Timna Park visitor centre car park. 29.78745, 34.98879
Directions to the start
Google Maps Apple Maps Waze Moovit
Waze drives you to the car park; Moovit has the buses and trains to the start.
Paths and roads change, and surfaces vary with the weather. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; ride to what you find, give way to walkers and horses, and carry what you need to mend a puncture.