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The craters of Israel (5 plus a few in the Sinai peninsula) were a huge mystery for a lot of years. Explorers and adventurers would travel the Negev looking for archeological artifacts, meeting beduins and answering ancient 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 tectonical plates moving around and changing the scenery. This trek takes us through the biggest geological crater in the world – The Ramon Crater (40 k”m long, 9 k”m wide and 350 metres deep). The trails will lead us deep into the crater and its geological formations, to the other side of the crater and back up to Mitspe Ramon (the desert town on the edge of the crater) through the granite mountain - the Ramon teeth.
The trek starts and ends at the small town of Mitspe Ramon, a town built right on the cliffs of the crater. The trek winds down the cliffs from the town into the deep crater, through the dry riverbeds of the crater that help the ongoing erosion of the crater continue. You’ll sleep at a campsite surrounded by some ancient archeological finds, a campsite that sits right outside of the walls of the crater. The next day takes us up to the Ramon teeth and down into a small crevice with some beautiful geological formations, and then back up the cliffs of Mitspe Ramon and its crater.
Trek Summary
Days: 2
Kilometres: 32
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
Seasons for Trekking
The best time for desert trekking in Israel is November to April. If Febuary 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 either at the very foothills of Har Gamal (the camel hill), there is a designated parking space there. It’s fairly safe to leave a car there for a few days, if you want to be even more safe you can leave the car in any of the surrounding streets leading to the hill. This is a loop trek, so you will arrive back at your car within two days. The parking is free of charge.
Public transportation- There are buses leaving the central bus station in Be’er Sheva that arrive at Mitspe Ramon right at the Camel Hill, where the trek begins, about every hour from morning to evening. To view the bus schedule here. You can type in “Be’er Sheva central bus station” for the starting point, and “Mitspe Ramon visitor center” for the destination. For the trip back just reverse the route. 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
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 via a four by four vehicle and a few days ahead of your trek or by someone with a jeep 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, like me, you don’t own or rent a four by four 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.
Food
You’ll need to bring your food supply with you. You can find almost everything in the supermarkets in Be’er Sheva or at the only big supermarket in Mitspe Ramon (Shufersal, right in the center of town, it can get pricey). 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. Flashfloods. The desert area in Israel is prone to flash floods. The lack of vegetation in the desert and the type of soil make 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. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 (13 kilometres)
Once you’re in Mitspe Ramon head south towards the cliffs at the edge of the city. You’ll find the Israel National trail and also the full Ramon circuit trail (marked in purple), for more on how to us trail marks in Israel here!
Once you’re on the INT head west and look for Mt. Camel, a small hill that resembles a camel with a viewpoint on its hump. If you came by car, you can get to the foothills of Mt. Camel and park there.
After you enjoyed your first views of the crater, keep heading west on the INT and the purple trail (it will also be marked green), the trail will take you to the Har Hanegev field school. You can follow the trail heading right into the field school (the gate for hikers should be open at all times) and head out of the field school through the gate right in front of you.
From Mt. Camel to the farther edge of the field school should be about 700 metres and after another 300 metres (on the INT and a blue trail that replaced the green trail) you will meet a junction. From the junction we will leave the purple Ramon Circuit trail and head on the INT and the blue trail taking us on an easy descend down into the Ramon Crater.
For the next 2.5 k”m you will be climbing down about a 300 meter drop into the crater.
Once you're inside the crater, the next kilometre you’ll be walking along a beautiful dry riverbed, after a kilometre look for a black marked wide vehicle trail that runs parallel to the INT and blue trail mark you’ve been running along.
You’ll see it clearly to the south (your right) once the river opens up a bit. At this point head to the black trail and start following it west (for the last kilometre you’ve been heading east, so it’ll feel like you’re walking back to where you came from). The black trail will head west for a few hundred metres and then turn south, towards the farther edge of the crater. Follow the black trail for three kilometres, until you meet a junction with a red trail heading south, take the red trail (there will be a sign stating that the red trail leads to the Pitam gap and Wadi Nekarot).
The red trail will head up to the Pitam Gap, this gap is one of 7 gaps in the crater that enable us to easily find a path leading outside the cliffs of the crater. The trail leading to the Pitam Gap is really beautiful with some crazy geological formations and a beautiful river bed.
From the Pitam Gap you’ll enjoy a view of the Ramon Crater from the southern side, but you’ll also get to see the world of the Negev beyond the crater, an incredible site of a vast endless desert.
After you enjoy the view head on south along the red marked trail (fit for vehicles). After a few hundred metres you’ll meet the purple marked trail that heads east along the cliffs of the crater, you’ll be coming back to this trail tomorrow morning. For the campsite, head south along the red marked trail for a kilometre and a half. Then you’ll meet a big acacia tree where you can leave the red marked trail and hike along the purple trail for 400 metres to the Pitam Gap campsite where you’ll spend the night.
Side note: this day is pretty short, it took us about 6 hours to hike the trails to the campsite from Mitspe Ramon. You can plan a short day and head out of Mitspe Ramon late morning (unless it’s a very hot day, then you’ll want to walk during the early morning and rest in the shade at noontime). Another option is to get to know the area around your campsite if you get there early. You can leave your heavy packs at the campsite and walk along the purple marked trail to the west, you’ll meet some prehistoric sites and a beautiful river with lots of interesting birds. Plus you can catch the sunset from the hills surrounding the campsite.
Day 2 (19 kilometres)
Head back on the purple trail towards the red trail and follow your footsteps from the day before all way to the purple trail heading east (you met this junction the day before), it’s about two kilometres to the purple trail.
Once you’re on the purple trail you’ll start heading upriver and then ascending on the cliffs hanging above the crater. You won’t see the view towards the crater (north) until you’re all the way up on the cliff. It’s an incredible 225-metre climb and a rewarding view, enjoy it!
From the cliff the trail will easily descend back down (and still head eastward) with beautiful views to the south. From the viewpoint, you’ll be hiking the purple trail for almost 6 kilometres, until you meet a junction with the INT and a red trail. The junction can be easily missed, make sure you’re alert for it. Once you meet the junction follow the INT and red trail north, you’ll know you’re on the right path if you’re walking upriver (the same marked trails also head southeast and downriver).
The INT and red trail head up the scenery changes from limestone to a deep red/purple granite mountain – this is ‘Shen Ramon’ (Ramon tooth). The trail ascending the mountain is pretty easy, about a 150 meter climb up.
From Shen Ramon, the trail will lead you down back to the crater on the INT and red marked trail. For the next 3 kilometres you’ll be walking in an open desert in the middle of the crater, until you meet a huge acacia tree which offers great shade, right on the next junction.
At the junction keep following the INT and red trail marks upriver, you’ll meet a lot of sandstone formations and a basalt wall. After 2.5 kilometres you’ll meet a green trail, follow it west (to your left) and after 800 metres follow the green trail that ascends up to Mitspe Ramon.
The trail ascending the cliffs of Mitspe Ramon is pretty easy, about a 250 metre climb and the scenery is incredible.
Once you finished your climb, you’re right in Mitspe Ramon and you’ve finished your trek.
If you left your car at Mt. Camel you can follow the green trail heading west along the cliffs for 500 metres, it will lead you right to where you started the trek yesterday. If you came by bus you can head into Mitspe Ramon to the central bus stop, near the shopping centre in the middle of the town.
Hope you enjoyed the trek! I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments! Contact me here. Or comment below.
Side note: if you're looking for a longer trek in the area, there is a 5-day trek taking you on a full circuit around the crater. The whole trail is marked purple on the Israel hiking map.
*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.
