Park Alona (Alona Park) stretches along the southern slopes of Mount Carmel, between Haifa and the Jezreel Valley, a landscape of Mediterranean forest, natural springs, ancient wine presses, and hiking trails. The park is one of the largest and most beautiful natural areas in central Israel, and its combination of forest walks, archaeological sites, and picnic areas makes it popular with families, hikers, and nature lovers.
The Forest
The park is covered with Mediterranean woodland: oak, carob, pistachio, and pine trees that form a dense canopy over the trails. In spring, the forest floor is carpeted with wildflowers, including anemones, cyclamen, and orchids. The Carmel forest was badly damaged in the catastrophic fire of December 2010, which burned approximately 25,000 dunams and killed 44 people, and the regeneration of the forest is visible throughout the park: young trees growing among the charred trunks of their predecessors.
Springs and Pools
Several natural springs emerge from the Carmel limestone within the park, creating pools and streams that are popular swimming spots in summer. Ein HaShofet (the Judge’s Spring) and other springs along the trails provide refreshing stops on warm days. The springs have been used since antiquity, and ancient water channels and cisterns are visible near several of them.
Wine Presses
The park contains dozens of ancient wine presses carved into the rock, evidence of the extensive viticulture that covered the Carmel slopes in antiquity. The presses, with their treading floors, collection vats, and drainage channels, show the full wine-making process and connect the park to the long history of winemaking in this region. The nearby Druze villages continue the agricultural traditions of the Carmel.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Park Alona is where nature and history meet on Mount Carmel. Hoshen Tours includes it for groups seeking a forest walk, a spring swim, or a quiet escape from the cities.