Gamla Nature Reserve (Golan Heights)
Eagles at Gamla by Flickr user karen horton
High in the remote Golan Heights region of Northern Israel lies the Gamla Nature Reserve, a magical place where eagles nest, archaeological ruins lie, and breathtaking views just take your breath away! Whether you have half an hour in a hectic itinerary or can spare an entire day, Gamla is somewhere for lovers of nature, history, and hiking.
The main course, served to the visitor some 600 yards from the entrance, is to watch the huge vultures that nest there, undoubtedly the reserve’s major live attraction. The Vulture Trail leads from the main gate to the bird-watching post at the head of the cliff. The trail is wheelchair accessible, and from the post you can watch the birds soaring nobly on the air streams.
Close up of an eagle at Gamla by Flickr user asafantman
The reserve has about 80 vultures, which is quite a lot. Considering their size – some ten feet on average – you won’t even need binoculars. If you move a bit away from the entrance and keep silent, the vultures are likely to hover over your heads. It’s an amazing experience: A huge shadow approaches, the vulture looks down from above, and you can almost see the whites of his eyes. Vultures eat the carcasses of dead animals, so most of you have nothing to fear.
A walk on the circular Vulture Trail also provides an impressive observation point where you can see the mountain of Gamla. You can descend from the bird-watching post in the direction of the site on the steep, well-marked “ancient path.” This isn’t a long walk (about a mile and a quarter there and back), but the route of the path requires at least an hour and a half.
Gamla's green landscape by Flickr user ldjaffe
The trail ends at ancient Gamla. This place sounds like the northern brother of Massada: Here, too, a battle took place against the Romans, and here, too, the people committed mass suicide to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy.
The Gamla Waterfall by Flickr user Nir Nussbaum
If you prefer to exchange the somber atmosphere of Gamla for a somewhat more pastoral experience, you can continue from the Vulture Trail to the waterfall, a 45-minute walk from the entrance (an hour and a half both ways). Along the trail there are dolmans, stone structures in the shape of a table whose purpose no one is sure of.
Ancient tombs? Ritual platforms? Alien footprints? You can think about each of these possibilities while walking, and forget them all when you reach the Gamla waterfall.
The 170-foot waterfall has been crowned “the highest flowing waterfall in Israel.” Considering Israel’s climate, this is perhaps a dubious title, but it is certainly an impressive sight: a delicate flow of water breaks in the air into thousands of droplets that commit suicide by jumping into the pool below.
A somewhat more challenging trail leaves from the entrance to the nature reserve and continues to the Daliot parking lot, where you can leave your car. Alternatively, you can return to the entrance by the same trail (about four hours round trip). Most of the walk is level, other than the descent and the ascent to Nahal Bazelet, which is now flowing in its full glory. A nice lookout point for the Bazelet waterfall lets you check off the nahal viewing department.
Alongside the trail are side dishes like almond trees wearing wedding gowns, lupines, and dozens of other colorful and aromatic flowers that only real tour guides know how to identify, but everyone can enjoy.
Visiting Gamla
From the road around the Sea of Galilee, take the Gamla junction-Daliyot junction road (no. 869) and turn north for about 2 km to the sign-posted turnoff to the reserve.
Opening Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M. October-March: 8 A.M.–4 P.M. Last entry to site one hour before above closing hour.
Phone: 04-682-2282/3
Entrance fee: Adult: NIS 25; child: NIS 13; Israeli senior citizens: 50% discount; Group rate: Adult: NIS 21; child: NIS 12
Official website: http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~25~~386746842~Card12~&ru=&SiteName=parks&Clt=&Bur=960426286
Article includes quotes from Ynet
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