Eshkol National Park

Eshkol National Park lies in the western Negev on the banks of Nahal Besor, slightly south of the Nahal Asaf lookout. It is reached from Route 241 approximately 2.5 kilometers west of the Urim Junction and has been described as about 15 minutes west of Ofakim.[2][6] The park sits within the loess plains characteristic of the western Negev, beside Nahal Besor, one of the largest wadis flowing into the Mediterranean.[1][7]

The park's name honors Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, a tribute shared with the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of Jerusalem.[3] It was developed jointly by the Jewish National Fund and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and is managed by the latter.[4][8] The park is a starting point for exploring the broader Besor region, with nearby attractions including the HaBesor View Road, HaBesor Spring Nature Reserve routes, the Suspension Bridge, Tel Gama, Ze'ela Dairy, the Miriam Labyrinth, the Salad Trail, Hemdat Sadot Medical Plant Farm, and the Moreshet Barzel Museum.[1]

The broader Besor reserve has been inhabited for approximately 10,000 years, with many of its residents historically engaged in shepherding.[7] The archaeological hill within the park contains four settlement layers, the earliest of which is Chalcolithic and dated to around 3100 BCE.[4] The summit preserves remains of an Egyptian structure associated with an ancient route from Egypt to Syria, Turkish defensive trenches and a position captured by British forces, and a restored Byzantine water cistern.[4]

During the First World War, the British army established its central water base for the Gaza–Beersheba front around the Ein Besor springs.[2] A dam constructed in the streambed held more than two million liters of water, which camel caravans transported daily to military outposts; the original concrete water-capture structure remains visible at the site.[2] Mounted forces also used Nahal Besor as a route toward Beersheba, sometimes traveling in the streambed to avoid detection, while British field units dug in along the stream opposite the Turkish front.[2]

In 1917, the British constructed the Rafah–Beersheba railway line to transport troops, supplies, ammunition, and water from the Besor springs.[4] Trains crossed the wadi three times a week until 1927, and a bridge along the wider route was reconstructed in 2004.[7] Reconstructed sections of a railway carriage and bridge are preserved within the park.[4] A battle between Byzantine forces and Arab cavalry, known as the Battle of Dathan, is said to have taken place at the foot of the archaeological hill in 634 CE.[4] A Byzantine church discovered after the British capture of a Turkish position contained a mosaic floor that Australian soldiers removed and later installed at a memorial to the Unknown Soldier in Canberra.[4]

The park and the surrounding reserve support wildlife associated with the perennial waters of Nahal Besor and the loess landscape. Mammals recorded in the wider reserve include wolves, hyenas, foxes, jackals, boars, and mongooses.[7] Its birdlife includes starlings, kites, eagles, buzzards, falcons, partridges, larks, and teals, while flocks of cranes have also been documented during site visits.[7]

The park's vegetation includes expansive grasslands and thousands of shade trees.[1] Lawns, shrubs, and date palms are irrigated with water from Ein Besor.[2][4] Following winters with substantial rainfall, the western Negev produces carpets of anemones and other wildflowers; red anemones, large irises, slender milk thistles, poppies, and corncockles have been reported within or around the park.[9][10] Nature and Parks Authority guides have provided seasonal wildflower guidance during February and March.[9]

Published sources differ slightly on the park's area, giving figures of approximately 3,000 and 3,500 dunams.[5][4] Its facilities include lawns, picnic and barbecue areas, bicycle paths, wading pools, playground equipment for young children, a refreshment stand, and archaeological sites.[5][8] A 2020 Ynet guide listed admission at 22 shekels for adults and 9 shekels for children and required advance coordination, while a December 2023 Mako report listed the same fees and free admission for Matmon pass holders.[5][8]

The Nature and Parks Authority operates an equipped overnight campsite offering private family tent pitches, rented tents with mattresses for groups of at least four, a large permanent camp for groups of at least 20, and caravan parking.[1] Campsite facilities include picnic tables, hot showers, restrooms, field lighting, shade canopies, a field kitchen with gas stoves, sinks and refrigerators, drinking-water taps, mobile-phone charging units, bonfire areas, and a service center selling food, drinks, and camping equipment.[1] The published campsite guide lists check-in between 15:00 and 21:00 and departure by 10:00, requires advance booking, and prohibits pets and amplification systems.[1]

During summer months, the park has hosted Thursday-evening scorpion-and-stars tours in which participants used ultraviolet flashlights to locate nocturnal animals and a laser beam to survey celestial bodies.[11] In February 2026, the Darom Balev festival featured arts and agricultural markets, food stalls, circus performances, live music, Bedouin-tradition workshops, family games, and disc golf.[10] A research zone introduced visitors to aquatic habitats, small water creatures, and amphibians through magnifying-glass observations and guided tours along the springs and Besor Stream.[10]

The park's principal attraction is Ein Besor, formerly known as Ein Shalala, a concentration of springs on the eastern bank of Nahal Besor.[11] Its flow continues throughout the year and remains stable even during severe drought.[2] The springs emerge from a niche carved into rock and produce approximately 60 cubic meters of water per hour.[4] The water is collected in an artificial pool containing fish and is used to irrigate lawns and date palms, while collected spring water also feeds the park's wading pools.[11][4]

The spring water has a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius and a salinity of 1,200 milligrams of chloride per liter.[4] Swimming in the spring-water pool is prohibited, although visitors may wade, and separate toddler-suitable wading pools are available.[1][4] Israel Nature and Parks Authority coordinator Efrat Ruhin described the meeting of water and blooming nature at the park as offering “a perfect escape into nature” and invited families to walk among the springs.[10]

An 18-kilometer scenic road begins from Route 241 approximately one kilometer west of the national park entrance and follows the western bank of Nahal Besor through the wider area.[2] The route has a compacted surface passable by all vehicles with caution and carries a 30-kilometer-per-hour speed limit; traveling it by car generally takes about an hour, while marked hiking trails can take up to a full day on foot.[7] Access to the scenic road is free, although entry to the national park itself is fee-based.[2]

The northern entrance to the route is off Route 241 between kilometer markers 4 and 5 near Re'im. The southern entrance is reached via Orim Junction, Route 234, and Route 222, with access a few hundred meters from Tze'elim Junction between kilometer markers 184 and 185.[7] The landscape along the route features badlands, hills, buttes, grasses, rushes, twisted trees, and seasonal fields of yellow, purple, red, white, and orange wildflowers.[7]

Water features along the route include the Sharuhen Well, the year-round Sharuhen Pool, the Revuva Well, and an 80-meter rope bridge crossing a section of the wadi where water flows year-round.[7] A reconstructed drainage feature allows winter water to collect in basins and form small lakes that attract birds.[7] Historical and archaeological sites along the wider route include a Chalcolithic quarry, Tel Sharuhen, Tel Sawavin, and the remains of an ancient farm.[7] Tel Sharuhen was populated almost continuously from the Middle Bronze Age through the Roman period, while Tel Sawavin contains tenth-century BCE settlement remains and is named for a nearby flint-production site.[7]

In May 2021, the park sustained significant damage when rocket fragments fell in the Nahal Besor channel and ignited a fire.[12] Gilad Gabbay, Southern District director of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, reported that the northern section of the park—including the spring area, wading pools, and farmyard—was badly damaged, and the park remained closed at that time.[12]