New Scenic Route Opens in Judea and Samaria, Israel’s Longest Yet

In a powerful blend of nature, heritage, and national vision, Israel inaugurated the Gvaot Forest Scenic Route on Sunday, now the longest scenic trail in Judea and Samaria. The ceremony, held in Gush Etzion, was attended by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, security officials, and regional leaders, marking what Smotrich called part of a “settlement revolution.”

The 4.3-mile trail, known in Hebrew as Derech Nof Gvaot, winds through the heart of the Gvaot Forest, a lush expanse planted in the 1980s by the Jewish National Fund. Visitors can hike, cycle, or drive the route, which offers expansive vistas and quiet forest paths an immersive way to connect with the land and its storied past.

The trail project was spearheaded by the Gush Etzion Regional Council, and completed with the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Settlement Directorate and the Civil Administration. The route is more than a nature path it’s a national statement.

“This isn’t just a beautiful new trail,” Smotrich said. “It’s a strategic link in the normalization of settlement, a testament to our commitment to land preservation, infrastructure, and connecting Israeli citizens to our ancestral homeland.”

Smotrich also highlighted the government’s ongoing investment in the region: 3,600 new housing units planned, five new communities on the horizon, and accelerated development of roads and other infrastructure. Thousands of acres in the area have recently been declared state land.

The route’s opening comes amid heightened security concerns, but that didn’t stop tens of thousands of Israelis from flocking to Gush Etzion during Passover. Civil Administration Director Brig. Gen. Hisham Ibrahim credited Israel’s security forces for ensuring safe access to the area during the holiday.

Yaron Rosenthal, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, captured the deeper meaning of the new trail: “This is exactly our grand vision that teenagers, families and adults will roam freely throughout the vast Gvaot Forest, beyond fences, like free people, as befits the sons and daughters of this land.”

With its sweeping views and strategic symbolism, the Gvaot Forest Scenic Route is a new point of pride for Israelis and a bold step in deepening the people’s connection to their land, history, and future.

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