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The craters of Israel (3 in all) were a huge mystery for years. Explorers and adventurers would travel the Negev looking for archaeological artifacts, meeting Bedouins and answering riddles and on their route from place to place they fell upon these huge bowl-like craters in the middle of the vast Negev desert. Nowadays we know the answer to the riddle of these craters- they are geological craters formed after millions of years of erosion and plate tectonics moving around and changing the scenery. This trek takes us to the two craters of Israel that are less travelled to and much more off the beaten track than the Ramon Crater. They’re called the small crater (also Hazera crater) and the big crater (also Hatira or Yeruham crater). The trails on this 3-day trek wind between and into these two incredible craters.
The trek starts at the small crater and ends at the small desert town of Yeruham. The trek leads us through the small crater, up its cliffs to an amazing lookout of this perfect crater. The next day takes us through some great descends and ascends through Wadi Hatira and to the Yorkeam spring, near the second campsite. The last day takes us scrambling up the hanging cliffs of the big crater. The trail will easily descend down into the crater itself, we’ll cross the crater and find ourselves ascending up the other end of the crater to Mount Avnon and to Yeruham.
Trek Summary
Days: 3
Kilometres: 45 km
Best Season: Autumn to Spring
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Geographical Area in Israel: Central Negev
So, let’s dive in with the important logistics that you need to know in order to hike this trek.
Detailed Map
The Craters' Trek - Israel Hiking Map
Seasons for Trekking
The best time for desert trekking in Israel is November to April. If February and March are an option for you, these are the best months to enjoy incredible wildflowers in the desert. Make sure to check out Seasons in Israel for more information!
Transportation
By Car- If you have a car, you can park your car at the beginning of the trek, but it’s not very safe to leave it there, plus you’ll need a taxi to come back at the end of the trek and get it. I’d recommend leaving your car in Dimona or Yeruham and taking a lift from Yanir (his info is under Water Supply) to the starting point (called Sha'ar Ashmedai). The lift should cost around 500 nis, and there's room for up to 8 people.
Public transportation- For the starting point of the trek you’ll need to get to Dimona and from there take a the lift with Yanir to Mactesh Katan (sha’ar ashmedai).
To get to Dimona you can take a bus or even a train. To view the bus schedule here (write down Dimona, central bus station for destination). For the train schedule here. You’ll finish the trek in Yeruham, from there you can take a bus to Be’er Sheva or Tel Aviv. If you left your car in Dimona, there are hourly buses from Yeruham to Dimona that you can take. Keep in mind that public transportation in Israel stops working during Shabbat- From Friday evening to Saturday evening.
Make sure to check out how to trek using public transportation in Israel!
Water supply
During the trek you will come along Ein (spring in Hebrew) Yorkeam. It is not advisable in Israel to drink from springs and pools due to the fact that people swim in them, they may be contaminated by different animals and sometimes by factories that are far from the eye but can contaminate the springs and pools. When you trek in the desert first of all use your water wisely. You should be carrying at least 4.5 litres per person per full day of trekking. That can be pretty heavy if you’re carrying water for more than two days. Keep in mind that you need water for the evenings as well - for cooking and drinking during the night. The solution for this can be water caches at your campsite. This can either be done by yourself with a vehicle and a few days ahead of your trek or by someone with who can do this for you for a small fee (It depends on where the cache is, but it can cost around 80 nis per person). If you’re planning on cooking by campfire, you should also arrange some fire wood, since burning any local vegetation is forbidden. If you don’t own or rent a vehicle, I recommend paying someone to do your water caches, they can also bring you fire wood at an extra fee (around 70 nis). There are a few people who do this in the desert area. I recommend contacting Yanir Bamidbar. You can check out Yanir's website for more info. On your first night (above the small crater) there is a water faucet nearby, you can fill up your water there. So, you’ll need a water cache only for your second night.
Food
You’ll need to bring your food supply with you. You can find almost everything in the supermarkets in Be’er Sheva or the supermarkets in Dimona. I recommend packing light, nutritious food. An easy lunch that you can eat along the way and a dinner that you can cook at the campsite (with stove or campfire).
Precautions and dangers
1. Flash floods. The desert area in Israel is prone to flash floods. The lack of vegetation in the desert and the type of soil makes it hard for water to seep down. When there is enough rain in the desert, it flows on top of the surfaces to the lowest places- river beds. Most of the riverbeds in the desert are dry all year round, except for a few days when it rains. The rivers then come to life, and it is very dangerous to be hiking in a riverbed during a flash flood. In some areas it can be raining even a few kilometres upriver from where you are and the flash flood will come out of nowhere, splashing down the riverbed and taking everything, it can with it. The tricky part about flash foods is that the riverbed does not flood gradually, it comes at you at lightning speed.
Precautions for flash floods:
a. Check the weather in the destinated hiking area before you leave.
b. Do not attempt to hike if there is a rainy weather report.
c. If you do find yourself in the desert during rain, make sure to get out of any riverbed near you, climb to the highest, safest point you can get to and enjoy the view. If there are flash floods around you, it can keep flowing for hours and even days, contact someone to get you out of there safely.
2. Military training areas- About half of the trek passes through a military training area. The area usually opens up during weekends, and the Israel Nation trail passes through this area, so it can be open also on weekdays. You can call this number in order to coordinate with them: 08-9902928. They might ask for the trail numbers, you can find them on the map at the "Israel Hiking Map" link above. For more on trekking in military training areas here!
3. Heat stroke- It gets hot during the day in the desert, even in freezing January. The days are hot and the nights are cold. Make sure to always wear a sun hat, take long breaks in the shade (there isn't a lot of shade, so choose your shade wisely) and refreshen yourself in pools and springs along the way.
4. Dehydration- the desert is hot and dry. Make sure to always take enough water (at least 4.5 litre per person per day) and drink gradually along the day.
5. Animals- There aren’t many big dangerous animals in the desert. Beware of snakes and scorpions, especially during the spring time and around your campsite. In the morning shake your boots before you put them on and beware when you pick up rocks.
If you find yourself in an emergency situation, you can call for help. Call 100 for the police and they can connect you with the regional rescue team. You can also call 101 for medical assistance. The direct number for the rescue team in the Negev region is 050-6276619.
Trail description
Day 1 (8.5 k”m)
This is a pretty short day, which is good if you’re arriving late in the morning from Dimona. The lift with Yanir should take you to the Sha’ar Ashmeday campsite. From the campsite look for the red trail (fit for 4 by 4 vehicles) heading west into the small crater. for more on how to us trail marks in Israel here! After about 800 metres, you’ll find the Israel Nation Trail (INT), marked also with a red trail heading further west. Follow the red trail and INT, it will lead you along the dry riverbed called Hazera that drains the small crater when it rains. For the next 5 k”m the trail will lead you on an easy hike along the dry river bed, you’ll meet a lot of great sandstone coluorful rock formations. After 5 k”m you’ll meet the foothill of a 350 metre climb up to the cliffs hanging above the crater. The climb spread out on 1.5 k”m trail, which should take you about 45 minutes to finish.
Once you’re up, you’ll be rewarded with an incredible lookout over the crater! Follow the INT and red trail for another 2 k”m to get to your campsite. From the campsite you’ll see a road heading up to a very small army base. There should be a water faucet outside of the base, where you can fill up on water.
Day 2 (17 km) Today isn’t very long, but you have a lot of descents and ascents, make sure to head out early in the day, especially if you’re hiking during the winter when the days are short (sunset is around 16:30-17:00). The next day, follow the red trail and INT west, after 900 metres you’ll cross an asphalt road (a non-active one that leads down to the Zin valley). From the road, follow the trail west for another 5 k”m until you meet the Zafir archaeological site. It’s a beautiful place, a small Roman fortress, looking over a part of the Spice Trail.
At Zafir, you’ll meet a junction in the trails. Follow the blue trail (also the INT trail) heading west (to your right). After 3.5 km, you’ll meet the Yamin descent. Before you start descending, check out the awesome crevice at the foot of the dry waterfall before you!
From the crevice, follow the green trail (still the INT) down the descent
The descent shouldn’t take you very long, around twenty minutes. From there, follow the green trail heading west, along a beautiful dry river bed called the Hatira river. You’ll meet great acacia trees and maybe even some wildlife (I met a huge lone Ibexe male along this river).
After 3.5 km in the river, you’ll meet a huge dry waterfall stopping you from continuing west along the river. From here, find the ascent (marked still green), called the Palmach ascent. In the 1940’s a team of Palmach soldiers came to this very waterfall, couldn’t find way up and just started hiking up using axes to carve steps on the cliffs. Today the trail offers us steady but steep ladders to climb up.
After the ascent, keep following the green trail for another 1.5 km until you meet Ein Yorkeam – one of the biggest and most impressive springs in the area. If you came here after the first flash flood of the season, you’ll be able to swim inside!
From Ein Yorkeam follow the INT and green trail for another 500 metres. Cross the asphalt road, the trail will become black (still the INT) and follow it for another kilometre. You’ll cross railway tracks and you’ll meet a huge steep rock wall in front of you. These walls are the outer walls of the Big Crater (also called the Hatira crater). The trail will take you up to the cliffs of these walls to an incredible lookout over the crater. One of the most incredible ascents of this trek.
From the lookout, follow the black trail down (not the INT anymore) for about a kilometre. The trail will lead you straight to your campsite. At the campsite you’ll meet a huge eucalyptus tree and some amazing sandstone rocks. There is no water faucet here, so you’ll need a water cache.
Day 3 (12.5 km)
From the campsite, cross the asphalt road that runs along the crater, and follow the green trail taking you south and west. Along the way you’ll meet great sandstone formations and some good views of the crater.
After 5.5 km you’ll merge with a red marked trail. Take a right (north) on the red trail and follow it for 900 metres. You’ll meet the green trail again, follow the green for 1.5 km. Than a left on the red trail again, until you meet the blue trail (to your left, north). The blue trail will take you to your ascent up the cliffs of the Big Crater.
It should be about a 200-metre ascent along the blue trail, and about 2 km long. The blue trail ends at the asphalt road. Take a left at the road and follow it for 2.5 km to the outskirts of Yeruham. Another option is to order a taxi from Yeruham to where the blue trail ends (for your location, tell the driver to get to the bottom of Mount Avnon. If you’d like another lookout over the Big Crater, from the blue trail cross the road and find the black trail. Follow the black trail for a little over 1 km for the lookout.
From Yeruham you can take a taxi or bus to Dimona (if you left you car there) or take a bus to Be’er Sheva and from there to Tel Aviv.
An extra bit about Yeruham: Yeruham used to be a pretty dusty old desert town, but in the last few years the town has changed its face. A lot of young people came to live here for the quiet atmosphere and the desert views and spaces. There are a few nice restaurants in the area, some great hiking trails, a lake, and some cool hostels and boutique hotels. If you have an extra few days, I recommend staying a few nights at a small awesome hostel - "The White Hill Geusthouse". During your stay check out the very cool trails around the small town, I especially recommend the red trail along the Fox Valley. You can get more info about this trek from the geusthouse, and an informative trekking guide for the Fox Valley coming soon!
Hope you enjoyed the trek; I would love to hear what you thought about it! Contact me here. Or comment below.
*Disclaimer*
It is the responsibility of the users of this website to be prepared for all possible conditions while trekking in Israel. Beware that conditions of trails may change day to day and season to season. All users of this website and its information assume full responsibility for their actions and judgments while trekking. The owner and authors of this site disclaims all liability including that of accident, loss, injury, or any other damage that may be sustained by anyone using the information contained on this website.