Nachal Meitsar is the largest of the riverbeds that run from the southern Golan Heights to the Yarmuk Valley. Growing on its slopes is a wonderful park forest with a combination of Mediterranean and desert plants. In winter, the slopes are covered with green and in spring they are carpeted with beautiful flowers.

After circling the neighborhood a couple of times and following the signs to Meitsar, we were about to give up on ever finding this particular hike. As we were about to leave the neighborhood, we noticed a small sign on Route 98 partially obstructed from view by overgrown weeds which marks the path leading to the Meitsar Stream. We pulled over, parked, and started the hike downhill toward the stream. Along the hike, there are stunning views of nearby mountains. We followed the path downhill for about half an hour taking in the natural beauty all around. We came to where Wadi Barbara  was supposed to be, but  was dried out. We only hiked down to the dried out stream and back up, and even that was worthwhile for the beautiful views we enjoyed throughout.

If you continue the hike, the trail crosses the river and continues along Wadi Barbara’s southern bank. Wadi Barbara joins Nachal Meitsar at the bottom of Ras a-Hatzamtza, a large hill. At the end, hikers are rewarded with views of the magnificent Nachal Meitsar waterfall. If you take the trail all the way to the waterfall, be sure to arrange for a car to pick you up at the end of the trail.

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Posted: September 10, 2017

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