HaMasrek Nature Reserve: A Comb of Green Above Jerusalem

HaMasrek Nature Reserve is a narrow, comb-shaped ridge of green hills northwest of Jerusalem, offering short hiking trails, wildflowers in spring, and views of the Jerusalem Corridor. The reserve’s name comes from the Hebrew word for “comb” (masrek), describing the shape of the parallel ridges and valleys that form the landscape.

Forest Trails Above Jerusalem

The reserve offers several short to moderate hiking trails through Mediterranean scrubland, with wild olive trees, carob, pistachio, and rock roses. In spring (February-April), the hillsides are covered with wildflowers: anemones, cyclamen, lupines, and orchids. The trails are well marked and suitable for families, and the proximity to Jerusalem (about 20 minutes by car) makes HaMasrek a convenient escape from the city for a morning walk in nature.

The View of the Jerusalem Corridor Battlefields

The ridge tops offer views of the Jerusalem Corridor, the area of intense fighting during the 1948 War of Independence. The Castel is visible to the east, and the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem winds through the valley below. Understanding the terrain from this viewpoint explains why the battle for the corridor was so difficult: every hilltop commanded the road, and every convoy was exposed to fire from the ridges above.

Flora and Fauna

The Mediterranean scrubland of HaMasrek supports a rich variety of wildlife. Gazelles, porcupines, and jackals inhabit the reserve, and raptors including short-toed eagles and long-legged buzzards ride the thermals above the ridges. The botanical diversity is notable for such a compact area: common oak, Palestine terebinth, and strawberry tree (arbutus) grow alongside aromatic shrubs like sage, thyme, and za’atar. In late winter and early spring, the hillsides erupt with color as wild anemones carpet the ground in red and purple, followed by waves of cyclamen and orchids. The reserve is part of the broader Jerusalem Hills ecosystem, which represents one of the richest pockets of biodiversity in Israel due to its position at the junction of Mediterranean, steppe, and desert climate zones.

The Jerusalem Corridor

HaMasrek sits above the Jerusalem Corridor, the narrow strip of land through which the road to Jerusalem passes. During the 1948 War of Independence, this area was the scene of intense fighting as Israeli forces tried to keep the road open. The forests that now cover the hillside were planted by the JNF in the decades after the war, over terrain that was once bare and contested. Hiking through HaMasrek today, surrounded by pine and cypress, it is easy to forget that this peaceful landscape was once a battlefield. But the military cemeteries and memorials nearby, including Kiryat Anavim and the Harel Brigade Memorial, ensure that the memory survives.

Visit with Hoshen Tours

HaMasrek Nature Reserve is a comb of green above Jerusalem, perfect for a quiet walk. Hoshen Tours pairs it with the ancient terraces at Sataf, the cemetery at Kiryat Anavim, the Crusader spring at Ein Hemed, and the the 9/11 Memorial.