National parks and nature reserves of Israel - wikipedia National parks and nature reserves of Israel Masada National Park Ruins of the ancient synagogue at Bar'am National Park Natural warm water pool at Gan HaShlosha National parks of Israel are declared historic sites or nature reserves, which are mostly operated and maintained by the National Nature and Parks Authority. As of 2015, Israel maintains more than 400 nature reserves that protect 2,500 species of indigenous wild plants, 20 species of fish, 400 species of birds and 70 species of mammals. Some parks are located at archaeological sites such as Tel Megiddo, Beit She'an, Ashkelon and Kursi. Others, such as the Alexander stream, Mount Carmel National Park or Hurshat Tal focus on nature and the preservation of local flora and fauna. Several parks and nature reserves have camping options, such as tent grounds and bungalows, open to small groups and individual campers. Some of them are located in the Golan Heights and the West Bank. In 2011, the most popular national parks were Yarkon National Park, Caesarea, Ein Gedi and Tel Dan. Contents 1 History 2 Parks and reserves 2.1 National parks of Israel 2.2 Nature reserves of Israel 3 See also 4 References 5 External links History Shivta National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site During the 19th century, the region had a sparse population of between 275,000 and 475,000. Waves of immigration expanded local population needs. Forests were cut down to supply coal for heating, industry and the Turkish railway. The Asiatic lion became extinct in the 19th century. The German Templers brought with them shotguns, quickly adopted by local peasants for hunting wildlife. The First World War was characterized by massive acquisition of firearms, and German officers were very active hunters. By the early 20th century, hunting threatened the extinction of crocodile, Arabian ostrich, roe deer, fallow deer, Syrian brown bear, and onager. As a result, the British Mandatory government passed laws aimed at saving the local flora and fauna. In 1924 a Hunting Act was published and in 1926 a Forest Ordinance were published. Many sites, such as the forests of Mount Carmel and Mount Meron, were declared forest reserves ; certain trees were declared protected. In 1953 the Knesset passed the Wildlife Protection Law ( חוק הגנת חיות - הבר ) and the Minister of Agriculture was appointed for its implementation. In 1955, the department for the improvement of the country 's landscape ( המחלקה לשיפור נוף הארץ ) was established in the Israeli Prime Minister 's Office, which was assigned the establishment of tourist infrastructure. The department established a number of well - known national parks, such as Gan HaShlosha, Caesarea, Shivta and Avdat. Following the ecologically disastrous drying of Lake Hula and the resulting public pressure, the Hula Reserve was established in 1964, which was the first declared nature reserve in Israel. In 1963 the Knesset approved the `` National parks and nature reserves act '' ( חוק הגנים הלאומיים ושמורות הטבע ), whose legislation process had already began in 1956. As a result, two authorities were established : the National Parks Authority and the Nature Reserves Authority. In 1998 the two authorities were merged into one body - Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The last observation of an Arabian leopard took place in the northern Arabah area in 2010 / 11. It is possibly extinct in the country. Parks and reserves Nitzanim Sand Dune Park, Ashdod Korazim National Park In Israel the distinction between national parks and nature reserves is often hard to make. National parks are in most cases centered around archaeological sites, but sometimes include protected nature habitats. The nature reserves often contain not just protected fauna and flora, but also major archaeological sites. The Hermon Stream Nature Reserve for instance covers a stretch of forested land, but also the vast remains of the ancient city of Banias / Caesarea Philippi. Sometimes an administrative separation is made, as for instance at the Judean desert oasis of Ein Gedi, home to both the Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park and Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. National parks of Israel This is a partial list, containing only the best known national parks. Name Region Akhziv Beach National Park ( nature reserve with some archaeology ) Northern District : Western Galilee Alexander River National Park ( nature reserve with some archaeology ) Central District Arbel National Park and Nature Reserve Northern District : Upper Galilee Apollonia - Arsuf National Park Ashkelon National Park Central District : Southern Coastal Plain Avdat National Park Southern District : the Negev Baptismal Site on the Jordan River - Qasr al - Yahud Southern District : Judean Desert Bar'am National Park Northern District : Upper Galilee Beit Alfa Synagogue National Park Northern District : Jezreel Valley Beit Guvrin National Park Central District : Shephelah Beit She'an National Park Northern District : Beit She'an valley Beit She'arim National Park Northern District : Jezreel Valley Caco / Qaqun National Park Central District : Hefer Valley, Sharon plain Caesarea National Park Northern District : Sharon plain coast Castel National Park Central District : Jerusalem corridor Ein Avdat National Park ( nature reserve with some archaeology ) Southern District : the Negev Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park ( see also Ein Gedi Nature Reserve ) Southern District : Judean Desert and The Dead Sea Ein Hemed National Park ( fortified Crusader structure and nature reserve ) Central District : Jerusalem corridor Eshkol National Park ( Besor ; nature reserve with some archaeology ) Southern District : the Negev Gan Hashlosha National Park ( Sakhne ; water park and archaeology museum ) Northern District : Jezreel Valley Hamat Tiberias National Park Northern District : Sea of Galilee Lakhish National Park ( not fully ready to receive tourists ) Central District : Shephelah Ma'ayan Harod ( Harod Spring ) National Park ( nature reserve and Yehoshua and Olga Hankin memorial house ) Northern District : Jezreel Valley HaSharon Park ( nature reserve ) Central District : Sharon plain Hermon Stream ( Banias ) Nature Reserve ( Banias / Caesarea Philippi archaeological site and Hermon Stream nature reserve ) Northern District : Golan Heights Herodion National Park Southern District : Judean Desert / West Bank Hurshat Tal National Park ( public park and nature reserve ) Northern District : Upper Galilee Kochav HaYarden National Park ( Belvoir Fortress and Igael Tumarkin sculpture park ) Northern District : Lower Galilee Korazim National Park Northern District : Upper Galilee Kursi National Park Northern District : Golan Heights Mamshit National Park Southern District : the Negev Masada National Park Southern District : Judean Desert and the Dead Sea Mount Carmel National Park Northern District : Mt. Carmel Nimrod Fortress National Park ( Qal'at Namrud ) Northern District : Golan Heights Qumran National Park Southern District : Judean Desert and the Dead Sea Ramon Park at Makhtesh Ramon ( nature reserve with archaeological sites ) Southern District : the Negev Ben - Gurion 's Tomb National Park at Midreshet Ben - Gurion near Sde Boker Southern District : the Negev Shivta National Park Southern District : the Negev Sebastia National Park ( Samaria / Shomron ) Central District : Samaria / West Bank Tel Arad National Park Southern District : Judean Desert Tel Be'er Sheva National Park Southern District : the Negev Tel Hazor National Park Northern District : Upper Galilee Tel Megiddo National Park Northern District : Jezreel Valley Yarkon National Park ( archaeological sites and nature reserve ) Central District : Yarkon River springs, central Israel Yehi'am Fortress National Park Northern District : Upper Galilee Zippori National Park ( Sepphoris ) Northern District : Lower Galilee and the valleys Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve - World Heritage Site Crusader ruins at Ein Hemed National Park Nahal Taninim in northern Israel Nature reserves of Israel This is a partial list, containing only the best known nature reserves. Name Region Alonei Yitzhak Nature Reserve Northern District Alonei Abba Nature Reserve Northern District : Jezreel Valley Amud Stream ( Nahal Amud ) Nature Reserve Northern District : Upper Galilee Ashdod Nitzanim Sand Dune Park Central District : Southern Coastal Plain Soreq / Avshalom / Stalactites Cave Central District : Shephelah Ayun / Iyyon Stream ( Nahal Ayun / Iyyon ) Northern District : Upper Galilee Bethsaida ( Beit Zaida / Betiha ) Nature Reserve ( archaeological site and nature reserve ) Northern District : Sea of Galilee Betzet Stream ( Nahal Betzet ) Northern District : Upper Galilee Balfouria Northern District : Jezreel Valley Bitan Aharon Northern District : Sharon plain Carmel Hai - Bar Nature Reserve in the Mount Carmel National Park Northern District : Mt. Carmel Coral Beach Nature Reserve Eilat Dor HaBonim Beach Nature Reserve ( with Dor Habonim marine nature reserve, Dor and Ma'agan Michael islands, Tel Dor National Park ) Northern District : Mt. Carmel coast Ein Afek Nature Reserve with Tel Afek ( archaeological site and nature reserve ) Northern District : Western Galilee Ein Gedi Nature Reserve ( nature reserve with several archaeological sites ; see also Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park ) Southern District : Judean Desert and the Dead Sea Ein Prat Nature Reserve Jerusalem district, West Bank Einot Tzukim ( Ein Feshkha ) Nature Reserve ( nature reserve and archaeological site ) Southern District : Judean Desert and the Dead Sea ( West Bank ) Gamla Nature Reserve ( archaeological site and nature reserve ) Northern District : Golan Heights Hermon Stream ( Banias ) Nature Reserve ( with Caesarea Philippi archaeological site ) Northern District : Golan Heights Hurshat Tal Northern District : Upper Galilee Hula Valley Nature Reserve Northern District : Hula Valley Kerem Ben Zimra Northern District : Upper Galilee Kziv Stream ( Nahal Kziv ) Nature Reserve with Crusader - era Montfort Castle Northern District : Upper Galilee Mount Arbel Nature Reserve with several archaeological sites Northern District : Lower Galilee Mt. Carmel Nature Reserve - see Mount Carmel National Park Northern District : Mt. Carmel Mount Gilboa Nature Reserve Northern District Mount Meron Nature Reserve Northern District : Upper Galilee Mount Tabor Nature Reserve Northern District : Lower Galilee Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve - UNESCO Site of Human Evolution ( paleoanthropological sites ) Northern District : Mt. Carmel Neot Kedumim Nature Reserve with biblical garden and wildlife breeding center Central District : near Modi'in and the Ben Shemen forest Pa'ar Cave Nature Reserve Northern District : Upper Galilee Poleg Stream ( Nahal Poleg ) Nature Reserve Central District : Sharon Plain Rosh HaNikra Nature Reserve - marine caves and 20th - century tunnels Northern District : Western Galilee Snir Stream ( Nahal Senir ) Nature Reserve Northern District : Golan Heights Shimron Nature Reserve Northern District : Jezreel Valley Tabor / Tavor Stream ( Nahal Tavor ) Northern District : Lower Galilee Taninim Stream ( Nahal Taninim ) Nature Reserve Northern District : Mt. Carmel coast Tel Dan Nature Reserve including major archaeological site Northern District : Upper Galilee Tel Anafa Nature Reserve around archaeological site Northern District : Upper Galilee Yehudiya Forest Nature Reserve Northern District : Golan Heights down to Sea of Galilee Yotvata Hai - Bar Nature Reserve ( desert wildlife ) Eilat region : the Arava Valley north of Eilat Zakum ( Maoz Haim ) Nature Reserve Northern District : Beit She'an Valley Located in the Israeli - occupied territories. See also Tourism in Israel Culture of Israel Archaeology of Israel Wildlife of Israel References Jump up ^ Where the Golan 's rivers flow into the Sea of Galilee The Times of Israel. Aviva and Shmuel Bar - am. 29 / 08 / 15. Retrieved : 16 / 05 / 18. Jump up ^ 1001 Facts Everyone Should Know About Israel, Mitchell Geoffrey Bard and Moshe Schwartz Jump up ^ Ecotourism in Israel Jump up ^ 130,000 travelers visit Israel 's national parks Jump up ^ Benny Moris, `` Righteous Victims - A History of the Zionist - Arab Conflict, 1881 - 2001 '' Jump up ^ Heptner, V.G. ; Sludskii, A.A. ( 1992 ) ( 1972 ). `` Lion ''. Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva : Vysšaia Škola ( Mammals of the Soviet Union, Volume II, Part 2 ). Washington DC : Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 83 -- 95. ISBN 90 - 04 - 08876 - 8. Jump up ^ Khalaf - Sakerfalke, N.A.B.A.T. `` Extinct and Endangered Animals in Palestine ''. Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. self - edited by the author. Retrieved 7 January 2017. Jump up ^ Granit, B. ( 2016 ). Once there were Leopards. Israel Birding Portal. Jump up ^ Stein, A.B. ; Athreya, V. ; Gerngross, P. ; Balme, G. ; Henschel, P. ; Karanth, U. ; Miquelle, D. ; Rostro, S. ; Kamler, J.F. ; Laguardia, A. ( 2016 ). `` Panthera pardus ''. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017 - 3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Jump up ^ http://old.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~20~~743046726~Card12~==parks==10792851 Jump up ^ Official web page Jump up ^ Official web page ( currently under repair, as of January 2017 ) Jump up ^ Ein Prat Nature Reserve Jump up ^ Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel : The Nahal Me'arot External links Nature and Parks Authority Official Site National parks of Israel Jerusalem District Bayt ' Itab Canada Park Castel City of David Ein Hemed Emek Tzurim Judaean Mountains Tomb of Samuel Northern District Achziv Bar'am Beit Alfa Synagogue Beit She'an Beit She'arim Belvoir Fortress Capernaum Chorazin Gan HaShlosha Hamat Gader Hamat Tiberias Harod Spring Hermon Hexagons pool Horns of Hattin Hula Valley Hurshat Tal Hurvat Minia Kursi Montfort Castle Mount Arbel Mount Tabor Nimrod Fortress Rosh HaNikra Sde Amudim Sussita Tel Hazor Tel Kedesh Tel Megiddo Tzalmon Stream Tzippori Yehi'am Fortress Haifa District Ancient Caesarea HaSharon Park Mount Carmel Nahal Me'arot Tel Shikmona Central District Adullam - France Park Alexander stream Arsuf Hof HaSharon Mazor Mausoleum Migdal Afek Palmachim beach Rubin Stream Sidna Ali Tel Afek Tel Gezer Tzur Natan Yarkon Southern District Ashkelon Avdat Beit Guvrin Besor Stream Ein Avdat Ein Gedi Eshkol Mamshit Masada Monument to the Negev Brigade Nitzana Semekh caves Shivta Tel Arad Tel Be'er Sheva Tel Lachish Tel Zafit Judea and Samaria Area Herodium Qumran Samaria Located in the Israeli - occupied territories Nature reserves of Israel Northern District Ein Afek Achziv Islands Alonei Yitzhak Alonei Abba Nahal Amud Nahal Ayun Balfouria Bitan Aharon Nahal Betzet Nahal Dishon Dor Beach and Ma'agan Michael Islands Ein Avazim Ein Elah Ein Nymphit Ein Te'oh Ein Yehuda Nahal Gamal Gamla nature reserve Snir Stream Hermon nature reserve Nahal Hermon Hula Valley Hurshat Tal Hurshat Zakum Kerem Ben Zimra Nahal Kziv Mount Arbel Mount Carmel Mount Gilboa Mount Meron Mount Tabor Pa'ar Cave Rosh HaNikra Shamir - Nahal Rachum Shimron Nahal Taninim Tel Anafa Nahal Tavor Tel Dan Tel Shikmona Nahal Yehiam Central District Adullam Ashdod Nitzanim Sand Dune Park Bnei Zion Avshalom Cave Hadasim Ein Hemed Gador HaMasrek Reserve Har HaTayasim Hurvat Itri Neot Kedumim Nahal Poleg Nahal Sorek Nitzanim dunes Palmachim beach Tel Yitzhak Te'omim Cave Udim Wadi Og Southern District Ein Gedi Einot Tzukim Craters in the Negev HaMakhtesh HaGadol HaMakhtesh HaKatan Makhtesh Ramon Eilat Region Coral Beach Nature Reserve Timna Valley Yotvata Hai - Bar Located in the Israeli - occupied territories Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_parks_and_nature_reserves_of_Israel&oldid=842596077 '' Categories : National parks of Israel Conservation in Israel Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2018 Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Čeština Deutsch Հայերեն עברית Magyar Nederlands Русский Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 23 May 2018, at 12 : 55. 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Question: how many nature reserves are there in israel
Answer: more than 400