Mount Ardon

Bordering the crater on the east, this place offer a marvelous view of the crater. The Ardon Basin just south of it, full of colorful sandstone, makes this one of the most fantastic viewpoints in the Negev. The mountain can only be scaled by foot (blue trail ), and it's highly recommended to reach the topmost point of the trail. It can be reached from Mitzpe Ramon on a full-day hike each way. Variably, you can reach the Be'erot campground (2) by any car, following the signs from route 40 to a dirt road, from where the mountain can be reached by a few hours' hike. Using 4×4 vehicle, you can reach right to the bottom of the mountain, from which the ascent is of moderate difficulty and takes less than an hour.

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Mitzpe Ramon, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Saharonim Spring and Outpost (3)
The Saharonim spring doesn't hold any water above the ground for most of the year. It is, however, remarkable because of the large moonseed plant the grows above it (Saharon, literally meaning Crescent, is the Hebrew name of moonseed, given because of the shape of the plant's leaves). Nearby are the ancient remains of a small Roman outpost guarding the Incense Route – just four low walls made of piled rocks, creating a fairly small square, with several inside walls as well. This is the starting point of the Nekarot Curve circular trail. The spring and outpost can be reached by dirt road, accessible to any car: departing from highway 40 on a red dirt road following the signs to Khan Be'erot paid campsite; then turn left on a black road and shortly afterwards turn right to another red road, driving for 3 km until you reach a crossroads just near the site.
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"Nekarot Curve"
Parsat Nekarot
From near the Saharonim spring (3) departs a 6 km hiking trail of the Nekarot Curve – a deep, dramatic canyon of the Nekarot stream. From the spring, go south along the blue trail that would curve east and then back north. After exiting the canyon, go left on a red dirt road that will take you back to the starting point at the spring.
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Ga'ash Lookout
From the JNF grove at Mitzpe departs a dirt road, fit for bikes and 4×4 vehicles, going east along the ridge. It's marked in black and is also a part of the INT. The trail first passes through the outdoor Desert Sculpture Park, then continues above the cliff, offering a great view. About 10 km from Mitzpe Ramon, a "transparent marking" turns right and leads to an observation point directly overlooking Ga'ash Hill (Ga'ash means Volcanic) − a small, black basalt hill outstanding against the yellowish crater ground.
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Ammonite Wall (4)
A rock face inlaid with numerous ammonite fossils. A sign leads to it from route 40, from where it can be reached by an easy 20 minute walk.