About the Eastern Galilee
The eastern edge of the Galilee comprises from south to north Lake Kinneret, the Jordan Rift Valley and the Galilee Panhandle. The latter includes the Hula Valley and the Ramot Naftali mountains.
Most of the Eastern Galilee is in a valley - the Jordan Rift Valley. However, the area immediately north of Lake Kinneret is hilly and not in a valley at all. This is because volcanic larva flowed down from the Golan Heights and filled this part of the Rift Valley. This explains why the countryside around Korazim National Park north of Lake Kinneret looks very similar to that of the Golan Heights, which also has an upper layer of black volcanic basalt rock.
This basalt plug from the Golan Heights interfered with the drainage of the Jordan River and led to the creation of Hulah Lake. This lake was subsequently drained because of mosquito-infestation, but a remnant has been left in the Hula Nature Reserve.
Rosh Pina and the ruins of Hazor are geographically in the Upper Galilee and not in the Jordan Rift Valley, but they are included in this Eastern Galilee section because of their proximity to other sites in this area.
The Eastern Galilee is a wonderful area for vacationing, with many popular attractions and great hikes. It is also a convenient overnight base for visiting the Golan Heights and the western parts of the Upper and Lower Galilee.
Copyright: Dolní_Galilea.svg: Daniel Baránekderivative work: TheCuriousGnome, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Suggestions for vacationing in the Eastern Galilee
Hursat Tal is a wonderful park with a large lake for swimming and green grassy expanse for picnicking. Agamon Lake is a popular place for viewing birds and ducks and taking a ride on a buggy car. There are a number of places for renting kayaks and taking a leisurely float down the rivers. This includes Kfar Blum Kayaks, which also has a climbing park. Historic Rosh Pina is an enjoyable site to visit with an interesting history, and the adjoining Rosh Pina stream is a beautiful area for a short hike. It has springs in which the kids can play. Tel Dan has everything – beautiful springs, paths, and Biblical history. Ayun Stream is a very nice hike with a number of waterfalls in all seasons. Snir Stream is a great circular hike that includes walking in shallow water. To cool down in the summer, the water walk in the Majrase is a lot of fun. The Scenic Jordan trail is a pleasant and easy walk. For Biblical history, Hazor should be high on your list of places to visit.
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Links to the HOME PAGE and best family activities, hikes and historic sites in the GOLAN, EASTERN GALILEE, UPPER GALILEE, LOWER GALILEE, JORDAN VALLEY & LAKE KINNERET, the SHEFELAH, TEL AVIV-YAFFO and surroundings, NORTH of TEL AVIV, and SOUTH of TEL AVIV.
Do you find my website interesting and helpful?
Then you are sure to love my two new books "In and Around Jerusalem for Everyone - The Best Walks, Hikes and Outdoor Pools" and "The Struggle for Utopia - A History of Jewish, Christian and Islamic Messianism". Both books are available on Amazon and in Jerusalem bookstores. Click on each of the titles for information, reviews and purchase information.