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 Zafit, a rappelling site in the Negev.
Also known as: Tzafit River
Information as of 21 Oct 2026
At a glance
- Trail length
- 17 km
- Tallest rappel
- 25 m
- Number of rappel routes
- 3
- Shuttle
- Needed
- Exit distance:
- 900 m
- 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)
Tzafit junction
The meeting point is the parking spot. You continue on foot from here.
Coordinates: 31.13500, 35.13500
About
The stream starts east of Mishor Yamin, a little south of Tzafit junction on Route 25, and crosses the high part of Kamar Hatzera. A black-marked trail leads from Route 25 down into the top of the canyon. At first the wadi is open and sandy with plenty of plants; further on it closes between steep banks.
The main spring of the stream is Ein Tzafit: several springs in the bed fill a large pool that holds water all year. A little after it a blue-marked trail crosses the bed, and a few hundred metres later the stream drops twenty-five metres, its highest drop. The marked trail bypasses it on the south bank.
Further down there is a stretch of pools between low drops, which keep water for several weeks after a flood. The canyon stays deep until it leaves the fold, and after that the stream is gentle. A low drop with stakes opens the lower canyon, and further down comes a narrow slot with several low steps and stakes. Once the slot opens, about nine hundred metres remain to Route 90.
Access notes
Start at Tzafit junction on Route 25, on a black-marked trail heading south to the head of the canyon. Finish on Route 90, about two and a half kilometres south of Arava junction. The route can be shortened using the marked trails that cross the stream: the blue trail from Metzad Tamar to HaMakhtesh HaKatan, the dirt road from Route 25 to HaMakhtesh HaKatan, and the blue trail to Nahal Tamar.
Parking
Near Tzafit junction on Route 25, with a second car on Route 90 south of Arava junction.
Difficulty and suitability
- Hiking distance
- 17.9 km
- Water activity
- Yes
- Route type
- Mixed
Descent profile
Scroll sideways for details
Rappel routes(3)
| # | Name | Height | Obstacle | Profile | Landing | Anchor | Bolts and stations | Rope | From previous | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אBypass on the right | Height: 25 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 2 | ב | Height: 10 m | Waterfall / rappel | – | Pool | – | – | – | – | |
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| 3 | – | Height: – | Waterfall / rappel | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 4 | ג | Height: 5 m | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 5 | Bypass on the right | Height: – | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 6 | – | Height: 3 m | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | 1 km | |
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| 7 | – | Height: – | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | 550 m | |
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| 8 | – | Height: 2 m | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 9 | – | Height: 1 m | Downclimb | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
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| 10 | – | Height: – | Downclimb | Stepped | – | – | – | – | – | |
| ||||||||||
Points on the map
- Meeting pointPrimary
31.13500, 35.13500
- Route startTzafit junction
31.04290, 35.20036
- Route endRoute 90 crosses Nahal Zafit
30.97217, 35.30571
Safety
No entry when there is flash flood risk. The route is very long, so plan exit points on the marked trails. On busy days there are queues at the tops of the drops in the lower slot.
Escape routes
- A ruined dirt road between Route 25 and HaMakhtesh HaKatan crosses the bed after the canyon opens, before drop C.
- At the junction with the blue trail, before the lower slot, the trail runs north along the escarpment to Nahal Tamar.
Recommendations
Ein Tzafit is a good rest stop, with shaded corners by the pool.
Equipment
Rappelling gear for the twenty-five metre drop, a helmet and plenty of water.
Data sources
The information on this page was collected from these sources.
- ropes.community
- Facts consulted in a Judean Desert guidebook (title pending)
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