Nahal Arugot is the hidden canyon of Ein Gedi, a deep, narrow wadi that cuts through the Judean Desert cliffs south of the main Ein Gedi springs. While most visitors to Ein Gedi head for David’s Waterfall in Nahal David, Nahal Arugot offers a longer, quieter, and arguably more beautiful hike, with hidden pools, towering canyon walls, and the kind of desert solitude that David experienced when he hid here from Saul.
Canyon
The trail follows the stream bed upstream into a narrow canyon, passing between vertical cliffs that rise over 200 meters on both sides. The stream flows year-round, fed by springs in the upper canyon, and natural pools dot the route. The main destination is the Hidden Waterfall (Mapal HaNistar), a pool and cascade reached after about 90 minutes of walking. The pool is surrounded by ferns, reeds, and the kind of lush vegetation that seems impossible in the desert.
The Wildlife
Nahal Arugot is home to ibex (the Nubian ibex, with its spectacular curved horns), hyrax (rock badgers, the “coneys” of the Bible), foxes, and leopards (rarely seen but present in the reserve). The ibex are the highlight: they navigate the sheer cliff faces with gravity-defying agility, and encountering a herd of ibex on the trail, their curved horns silhouetted against the desert sky, is one of the great wildlife experiences in Israel.
David in the Desert
The Ein Gedi canyons are where David hid from Saul: “David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi” (1 Samuel 23:29). The most famous episode took place in one of these caves: Saul entered a cave to relieve himself, not knowing that David and his men were hiding in the back. David crept forward and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe but refused to kill him: “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6).
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Nahal Arugot is Ein Gedi for those who want to go deeper. Hoshen Tours hikes the canyon with the David story and the desert wildlife as companions.