Route 386 (Israel)

Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics divides Route 386 into several named segments: from Tzur Hadassah Junction to Even Sapir Junction, from Even Sapir Junction to Kerem Junction, and from Kerem Junction to the entrance to Rehov HaMaayan.[3] The road also passes through or near the Bar Giora entrance and Nes Harim Junction, both of which appear as reference points in official route tables.[3]

At Nes Harim Junction, Route 386 meets Route 3866, which leads toward Beit Shemesh.[4] The Ministry of Education's field trips administration places Route 386 along the western side of Begin Park, running from Bar Giora toward Nahal Refa'im, and distinguishes it from Route 375, which passes through the park's southern part in the area of Tzur Hadassah and Mevo Beitar.[5]

About 9 kilometers along the road from Kerem Junction, travelers reach Refa'im Bridge, where a marked dirt road branches toward Nahal Katlav.[4] The Sorek wastewater-treatment plant, established in 1994, sits in the channel of Nahal Sorek roughly 7 kilometers west of Kerem Junction along the road and approximately 5 kilometers from the western outskirts of Jerusalem.[6]

Route 386 follows the green valley of Nahal Sorek for much of the described route, offering travelers views of forested hillsides, springs, and religious sites.[1] Heading from Ein Karem toward Bar Giora, the road passes below the Sataf springs and opposite the picturesque monastery at Even Sapir, identified parenthetically in the source as the Monastery of St. John, before continuing past a sewage-treatment facility in the valley floor.[1]

Approximately 8 kilometers along the road from the Ein Karem direction, a turnoff leads to Bar Giora railway station.[1] From that junction, a dirt road runs alongside the railway for about 2.5 kilometers to reach the station itself, which sits opposite a broad parking area shaded by eucalyptus trees.[1] The stretch from Nes Harim Junction down to the Ein Karem roundabout — also called Lower Staf — constitutes a steep descent of approximately 12 kilometers.[2] Cycling-route guides describe the broader Jerusalem Corridor roads, including this segment, as mountainous and challenging, with steep and winding descents likened to roads "taken from Switzerland."[2]

Route 386 has been closed on several occasions due to emergencies and adverse weather. On July 16, 2025, a large forest fire in the Jerusalem Hills prompted authorities to close the road between the Bar Giora area and the Ein Saphir area; Fire and Rescue Services urged the public to stay away and to use alternative routes.[7]

During the major December 2013 snowstorm that struck the Jerusalem region, the road from Ha-Stef Square toward Jerusalem was closed in both directions.[8] A separate road-safety incident occurred near Nes Harim, when a group of four motorcycles traveling together on Route 386 ended in tragedy after one motorcycle crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a private car. One motorcyclist was killed, another was injured, and the car's driver was also hurt; the section of road was closed while police traffic investigators worked at the scene.[9]