June Travel Guide: The Arugot Stream

Hiking the Trail

The trail begins at the Nahal Arugot Visitor’s Center, not far from the main visitors center at Nahal David. From the entrance, visitors walk through majestic desert terrain, passing herds of ibexes and small rock hyraxes along the way. 

After a ten-minute walk, the blue marked trail descends into the first of Nahal Arugot’s many crystal pools. Inside the riverbed, sounds of flowing water and chirping birds take over. The scenery at Nahal Arugot is rich and green – this is one part of the desert where plants grow and thrive.

Soon, hikers reach a large waterfall with a rock slide. On busy days at the park, adventurous children and teens slide down from a cliff up above into an incredibly cool waterfall pool.

Next, the trail continues alongside the stream for a while before returning to the water. The main event for most hikers is reaching the Hidden Waterfall: a large and beautiful waterfall that crashes into an aquamarine pool. This is a great place to stop for lunch and a swim in the shade of the canyon.

More adventurous hikers will continue along the trail towards the last big attraction: The Upper Pools. This ordinary name doesn’t accurately depict the extraordinary beauty of the Upper Pools. Here, white boulders come together around a turquoise pool of water. At the back of the pool, curious hikers can seek out the source of the spring, where water flows out of an opening in the rock.

After visiting the Upper Pools, most hikers turn around and head back to the main entrance along the red marked trail, a dry trail with a bird’s-eye view of the stream. After spending a cool morning in the Arugot Stream, the majestic red rock scenery along the dry trail is a welcome variation.

Ein Gedi: A Deeper Understanding

In Biblical times, Nahal Arugot served as an escape route for King David, upon his flight from King Saul into the cliffs of Ein Gedi. The area is further referenced geographically several times in the Bible. At Tel Goren above the Arugot Stream in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a Jewish settlement existed during the First and Second Temple periods.

The hiking trail at Nahal Arugot in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve escorts visitors into the stream’s eastern end. There, freshwater springs flow into the canyon, turning the Arugot Stream into a lush desert oasis. But the beginning of the stream is in the area of Gush Etzion near Jerusalem, much further west. From its point of origin, Arugot travels along for 46 kilometers before spilling into the Dead Sea. 

To get a better sense of the breadth and scope of the Arugot Stream, travelers can visit Arugot Farm in Gush Etzion, about an hour’s drive from the nature reserve. This beautiful farmland is located on a ridge overlooking Arugot Stream. While strolling through rows of olive trees and green vineyards at the farm, one can look down to the beautiful, variegated rock formations in the canyon below. On rainy winter days, water flows through the valley from Arugot Farm all the way to the Dead Sea.

How to Get There: Drive to Nahal Arugot at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve using Google Maps or Waze. The reserve is located southeast of Jerusalem, off Highway 90.

When: This trail is beautiful year-round.  During the summer, it is extremely hot, but the cool water in the pools makes up for high temperatures outside.

Planning: There are bathrooms, maps, and a small store at the entrance to the reserve.

Make sure to check for closures and to reserve online at the National Parks website before you go. Reserve online by clicking here. (Make sure to choose the Arugot Stream trail when reserving.)

Note: Eating is only allowed at specific places along the trail. The first picnic area is at the Hidden Waterfall.

To arrange a visit to the Arugot Farm, click here.

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