Beit She'an National Park: Roman Scythopolis and the tel

From the car park south of Beit She'an National Park (בית שאן), enter the ruins of Scythopolis and wander the excavated city: the Byzantine bathhouse, the well-preserved Roman theatre, Palladius Street and Silvanus Street between their rows of columns, and the Roman temple area. The route then climbs the steps of Tel Beit She'an for the view over the valley of springs, the Harod stream and the hills of Gilead, and comes back down through the city to the car park.

It is 4.0 km round with 79 m of ascent; allow about an hour and a quarter, much more if you stop at everything. The grade is Easy: paved and gravel paths and many steps on the tel. INPA's own circuit is about 1.5 km and two hours; this one takes in the tel and the outer streets as well.

The site lies below sea level in the Jordan Valley and is hot for much of the year, with little shade: go early in summer and carry water. Adults pay 31 NIS and children 16 NIS. In winter time the park closes at 16:00 (15:00 on Fridays and holiday eves), and entrance closes an hour earlier. There is drinking water and there are toilets near the start.

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.