THE HIKE:

 

• From the parking lot, go down the hill to the trailhead. You can go directly down the road you came on, but a bit shorter is a footpath to the right of this road.

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• Facing away from the tel, turn right onto a partially asphalt and gravel jeep trail. There is a map of the entire Gezer Trail by the path (but not the shortened version described here). As you descend on this path, you will pass a locked olive grove protected by a wire fence on your left. If you look carefully you will see an ancient millstone and to the left of this, partially covered by a tree, a wooden screw olive press.  

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• At the first four-way intersection, continue straight ahead. as indicated by the sign on a short pillar pointing to שביל גזר (translation: Gezer Trail). You will meet this pillar with its sign a few times during the hike.

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• At the next 4-way intersection turn right onto a dirt footpath. There is a black-colored metal mobile container just before the intersection on your left. (The short pillar tells you to continue straight ahead, but this is for the longer version of the Gezer Trail). To your left is Beit Uziel, and you will be heading to the outskirts of Kibbutz Gezer.

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• Adjacent to the cemetery of Kibbutz Gezer the trail curves to the right. Very shortly after a thin footpath on your right, the main path curves to the right. Do not take the thin footpath labelled to תל גזר as this will take you back to your starting point. The tall buildings you see on your left are those of Modi’in.

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• At a fork, just before a large grove of carob trees, follow the main path to the right. The grove of trees will remain on your left along this path. If it does not, you have taken the wrong turning.

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• At the T-junction turn right. The short pillar will again point you in the direction of שביל גזר. There is also a red marking on a rock, since you are now walking on a red-marked trail. The picturesque village of Karmei Yosef is on the hill ahead of you. At the junction of the red and blue trails continue straight ahead on the red trail. A wooden sign points to תל גזר and עין ירד.

 

• You cannot miss Ein Yarod on your right, as it is only a short distance from the previous junction. It has a small parking lot. There are some date palms and fig and pomegranate trees. There is one shaded picnic bench. I was unable to locate the spring among the reeds, but there is a small pool, although this will probably be dry during the summer.

 

This would have been an important spring for the residents of Gezer, since as well as providing water, it would have indicated to them the level of the aqueduct and how much they would need to dig to reach it when constructing their water tunnel inside the city.

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• Turn right at the second turning on the right from the spring. Go through the metal gate. 

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• Ignore the path on the right and follow path as it ascends and curves to the right with a silver-colored waterpipe on the left-hand side of the path. Follow this pipe along until it goes underground for a short distance. At this point is an inconspicuous non-marked footpath between two boulders. Turn onto this footpath which ascends to the tel.

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• After some distance, you will go up some steps to an observation area. This has a sign with identification of the places you are viewing. If you have not done so already, notice the Ayalon Valley. Also Mevo Horon, which would have been the main route in the past to the mountain range via the Bet Horon Ascent.

 

• From the observation are, take the concrete path on your far right to the ten Canaanite pillars. For an explanation of these pillars, see the web page “Tel Gezer National Park.”

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• From the pillars, take the steps ahead and continue on the concrete path to the observation area above the sheik’s tomb. The continuation of this path leads you to the parking area and your car. You may also wish to explore the tel. If so, head towards the stairs to the observation area to the left of the parking area, or bypass the stairs by a path to the left of this. For directions and explanations from here, see the webpage “Tel Gezer National Park.”