Length: Loop trail; 4.5 km; 2-3 hours
Mode of Transport: NOT stroller or dog friendly; bring carrier for small kids
Why Go? Climbing ladders, the views
Toilets? No, but Almog gas station on the way
Entrance Fee? Free! No reservation needed
What to Bring: Water, hat, snacks
Winter is the best time to hike in the desert. Nachal Og is a beautiful loop trail in the Judean Desert involving some steep ladder climbing - I'll get to that in a minute - but if you are afraid of heights turn back now! The trail is popular and doesn't need reservations, so my suggestion is to get there as early as possible - like start by 8am, if you can get out the door, water bottles filled and sneakers on (dream on bi-atch).
Drive to Kibbutz Almog, follow signs for Nachal Og and park in the wide open dusty lot - put נחל אוג חניון עליון into GoogleMaps. You'll start the on the green trail, a steep descent into the wadi. After 15 minutes you hit ladder rung #1. Here's the thing - remember when I said you want to get there early? We got there at 9:15, and by the time we got to the ladders, we had to wait 45 minutes in line till our turn, which kinda is a kill joy. Bust out a snack till it's your turn, or...get there earlier, brotha.
The ladders are real fun, but definitely steep. Our kids were 4 and 6 (a bit young for this hike) but are baller climbers/hikers. They did just fine, alas we spotted them on the way up. I climbed with a baby on my back. Not gonna lie, I was nervous for reasons related to, uh, gravity, you know. Check out pic below and gauge for yourself. In total, there are 4 sets of ladders. The first and last being the most challenging and the middle two are a piece of cake.
At the end of the green trail, exit the wadi and pick up the black trail. Goodbye shade, hello sun. We hiked in December when the mid-day sun isn't strong, but this would be a scorcher in the summer. It's also an uphill trek from here. You'll get to a cross point and turn right onto the blue trail. Enjoy kick ass views of the Dead Sea and Judean Desert. The trail becomes flat and wide, so I took the babe out of the carrier to finish up on foot.
Take your picnic breaks before getting leaving the wadi because there is no shade after. At the end of the hike there is a small pavilion with just a few benches. We finished at 12:30 and ate in the shade of our car - womp womp. Have no fear - you can buy that well-deserved chocolate Magnum at the gas station before the kids fall asleep in the car.
Overall - big thumbs up. If your kids are not great hikers, leave it till ages 7 or 8. If you have spider-children and you are not prone to heart attacks, than 5 or 6 year old's could rock it.
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