National parks and nature reserves of Israel
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 81 national parks and more than 400 nature reserves that protect 2,500 species of indigenous wild plants, 32 species of fish, 530 species of birds and 100 species of mammals.
The parks and reserves were frequently declared around the ruins of the depopulated and subsequently demolished towns and villages of the 1948 Palestinian exodus; 182 historical Palestinian built up areas are located within Israel's parks and reserves. 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 Israeli-occupied territories of the Golan Heights and the West Bank.
In 2011, the most popular national parks were Yarkon National Park, Caesarea, Ein Gedi and Tel Dan.
History
From the 1920s onwards, 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 and the Minister of Agriculture was appointed for its implementation. In 1955, the department for the improvement of the country's landscape 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", 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
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 | Northern District: Western Galilee |
| Alexander River National Park | 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 | Southern District: the Negev |
| Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park | Southern District: Judean Desert and The Dead Sea |
| Ein Hemed National Park | Central District: Jerusalem corridor |
| Elah Valley National Park | Jerusalem District: Shephelah |
| Eshkol National Park | Southern District: the Negev |
| Gan Hashlosha National Park | Northern District: Jezreel Valley |
| Hamat Tiberias National Park | Northern District: Sea of Galilee |
| Lakhish National Park | Jerusalem District: Shephelah |
| Lavnin Ridge Nature Reserve and Park | Jerusalem District: Shephelah |
| Ma'ayan Harod National Park | Northern District: Jezreel Valley |
| HaSharon Park | Central District: Sharon plain |
| Hermon Stream Nature Reserve | Northern District: Golan Heights |
| Herodion National Park | Southern District: Judean Desert/West Bank |
| Hurshat Tal National Park | Northern District: Upper Galilee |
| Kochav HaYarden National 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 | Northern District: Golan Heights |
| Qumran National Park | Southern District: Judean Desert and the Dead Sea |
| Ramon Park at Makhtesh Ramon | 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 | 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 |
| Wadi Zalmon National Park | Northern District: Lower Galilee |
| Yarkon National Park | Central District: Yarkon River springs, central Israel |
| Yehi'am Fortress National Park | Northern District: Upper Galilee |
| Zippori National Park | Northern District: Lower Galilee and the valleys |
National Park
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 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 | Northern District: Upper Galilee |
| Bethsaida Nature Reserve | Northern District: Sea of Galilee |
| Betzet Stream | 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 | Northern District: Mt. Carmel coast |
| Ein Afek Nature Reserve with Tel Afek | Northern District: Western Galilee |
| Ein Gedi Nature Reserve | Southern District: Judean Desert and the Dead Sea |
| Ein Prat Nature Reserve | Jerusalem district, West Bank |
| Einot Tzukim Nature Reserve | Southern District: Judean Desert and the Dead Sea |
| Gamla Nature Reserve | Northern District: Golan Heights |
| Hermon Stream Nature Reserve | 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 Nature Reserve with Crusader-era Montfort Castle | Northern District: Upper Galilee |
| Lifta Nature Reserve | Jerusalem District |
| 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 | 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 Nature Reserve | Central District: Sharon Plain |
| Rosh HaNikra Nature Reserve - marine caves and 20th-century tunnels | Northern District: Western Galilee |
| Snir Stream Nature Reserve | Northern District: Golan Heights |
| Shimron Nature Reserve | Northern District: Jezreel Valley |
| Tabor/Tavor Stream | Northern District: Lower Galilee |
| Taninim Stream 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 | Eilat region:the Arava Valley north of Eilat |
| Zakum Nature Reserve | Northern District: Beit She'an Valley |