Flash flood danger
Do not enter the canyon when rain is forecast in the area or upstream, even under clear skies. Check the forecast on the morning of the trip.
Inside a nature reserve
Keep to the reserve rules and stay on the marked trails.
Nahal Tzeelim in the southern Judean Desert, a canyon route with rappels.
Also known as: Tze'elim Stream, נחל צאלים עליון
Information as of 29 Apr 2026
At a glance
- Trail length
- 11.5 km
- Tallest waterfall
- 67 m
- Number of waterfalls
- 5
- Shuttle
- Needed
- Circular route:
- No
- Flash flood risk:
- High
- Reserve:
- Yes
Field reports
How much water there was and how it went, from people who were here. Every report is reviewed before it is published.
No reports from this place yet
Were you here lately? Tell us how much water there was and how it went. It helps the next group plan.
Meeting point (parking)
Breikhat Tzfira campsite (start)
The meeting point is the parking spot. You continue on foot from here.
Coordinates: 31.33157, 35.27851
About
Nahal Tze'elim rises on the main watershed, and its steep canyon is where it cuts into the fault escarpment, from the Tzfira pool to the Dead Sea shore. The route is linear, about eleven and a half kilometres, from the Tzfira pool night campsite to the night campsite at the mouth, so you need a second car at the mouth or a pickup. The book counts three main drops on it, the highest about sixty-seven metres, and there are lower drops along the way too.
A marked trail runs along the stream and walking it is allowed, but the book stresses that its description is not a recommendation and that you should be ready for different conditions. After floods the pools fill, and crossing them means getting wet and sometimes swimming, and the iron handholds along the drops may get bent.
From the campsite take the green trail to a dirt road marked black, which goes down north to the bed at the head of a short, narrow gorge. In the lower part of the gorge there is a small drop, and a blue trail with pegs and handholds bypasses it on the north and descends straight to the head of the Tzfira pool. A short drop lands in the deep pool, and at its far edge the highest drop goes down, with a large, deep seasonal pool at its foot. At the edge of that pool another drop goes down, about sixty-six metres.
About half a kilometre below it Nahal Shafan joins, and from there a blue trail with pegs climbs to the north rim. After about two gentle kilometres comes a low drop above the Naama pool, and then Gey Namer, a steep slot with small drops and pools, which the marked trail bypasses on the north before descending to Ein Namer. Lower down you pass Gey Bahak and Gey Selaim, both bypassed by a green trail on the south, and a little below them a steep gully joins from the south. About one and a half kilometres east of it the canyon opens onto a large alluvial fan on the shore, where the campsite at the mouth is.
Access notes
From the Tzfira pool night campsite take the green trail north to the black dirt road and follow it down to the Tze'elim bed at the head of the gorge leading to the Tzfira pool. The route ends at the night campsite at the mouth of the stream, which an easy dirt road links to Route 90.
Parking
Start at the Tzfira pool night campsite and finish at the night campsite at the mouth of Nahal Tze'elim, near Route 90. It is linear: leave a second car at the mouth or arrange a pickup.
Difficulty and suitability
- Hiking distance
- 12 km
- Water activity
- Yes
- Route type
- Mixed
Descent profile
Scroll sideways for details
Waterfalls(5)
| # | Name | Height | Obstacle | Profile | Landing | Anchor | Bolts and stations | Rope | From previous | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אBypass on the left | Height: 12 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 2 | ב | Height: 10 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | Deep pool (swim) | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 3 | ג | Height: 67 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | Pool | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 4 | ד | Height: 66 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 5 | – | Height: – | Downclimb | – | Pool | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 6 | הBypass on the left | Height: 8 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | Pool | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
| 7 | Bypass on the right | Height: 6 m | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
Points on the map
- Meeting pointPrimary
31.20860, 35.38640
- Site
31.30700, 35.26940
- ParkingBreikhat Tzfira campsite (start)
31.33157, 35.27851
- Route endNahal Tze'elim campsite (end)
31.35165, 35.35627
Safety
After floods the iron handholds along the drops may be bent, so carry a handline in any case. After floods the pools fill, and crossing them means getting wet and sometimes swimming. The two high drops start from smooth lips. The route is long and demanding. No entry when there is flash flood risk. At the Nahal Shafan junction a blue trail with pegs climbs to the north rim, and at Ein Namer a black trail climbs to the bank trail.
Escape routes
- About half a kilometre below drop ד, at the Shafan junction, a blue trail with pegs climbs to the north rim and the dirt road.
Recommendations
A long day for experienced teams. Start early, and arrange a second car or a pickup at the mouth in advance.
Equipment
Full rappelling gear, a helmet, plenty of water, a rope long enough for the highest drop, a handline, and dry bags.
Data sources
The information on this page was collected from these sources.
- ropes.community
- tiuli.comtiuli.com
- Facts consulted in a Judean Desert guidebook (title pending)
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