Ofir Lookout and family hike

Ofir Lookout (Mitzpe Ofir) looks out over the expanse of Lake Kinneret, including Kibbutz Ein Gev directly below. A sign identifies the places you are viewing. The site has unusual chairs and picnic tables made of blocks of stone, and many of them are in shade. A delightful short family hike along the cliff starts from the lookout.

This lookout was developed by the parents of Ofir from a nearby moshav. Their son died at age 16 from a long illness. Hence, the grove of 16 olive trees. There are steps at the side of the observation area leading to a trail in the Susita Nature Reserve. In theory, you can hike along this path for considerable distance, as it is part of the Golan Trail, but a 30-minute hike from the lookout is sufficient for viewing the hilltop on which are the ruins of the ancient city of Sussita (see the webpage on Sussita).

HIKE ON THE BLUE-MARKED TRAIL ALONG THE CLIFF:

Time: 1 hour there and back

Distance: 2.5 Km there and back.

Type of walk: Same way there and back.

Difficulty: There are a few areas requiring walking on rocks, but there is no climbing and most of the hike is easy. The path is adjacent to the cliff, but far from the edge. Nevertheless, this hike is not for wandering small children.

Directions: Enter into Waze “Mitzpe Ofir” and click on “מצפה אופיר.”

Public transport: There is no close public transport.

THE HIKE:

After going up the wooden steps, you will come to another group of stone picnic benches and then the remains of a Syrian cannon. You then enter Sussita Nature Reserve. You will come to two Syrian bunkers. These are a reminder that prior to the Six-Day War the Golan Heights was a closed Syrian military area from which there was often firing onto the Israeli settlements below.

A convenient place to turn around is after viewing Sussita or when the path descends into an olive grove.

Trail from Ofir Lookout

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