Fossilized plates and wood at Timna Park

Trail Color Markers: Black

At a sharp bend of the road to the "merkavot" site, turn left, to the northeast, following the marking through a narrow passage between the sandstone rocks. After that, you will reach an area where ancient mine shafts are visible, among them a kind of cave with a column of stone in its doorway. On the surface are green concentrates of copper minerals as well as dark concentrates of iron minerals. You will climb on the side of the wadi and go down to the channel.

Continue to the left, west, and south. The marking directs you up ancient alluvium steps to a plain with lightly rounded surfaces called 'plates.' These are shafts that were dug to reach the copper deposits. After they were blocked intentionally or by landslides, shallow cavities formed in which fine grain material accumulated. Following the black trail marking, you will reach a valley with remains of fossilized trees - evidence of vegetation buried due to erosion and combined with the sandstone 150 million years ago.

The organic matter was fossilized, and minerals of iron were absorbed in it. Please avoid damaging the fossils and leave them in place, as they are protected. Turn right after the clear trail marking (two white bars without color in the center) and pass through a narrow crevice. Return to the black trail marking that faces east. You will pass by the 'rock of the altar,' and continue on the wadi channel until it reaches the end point at the meeting with the vehicle.

Written by: Assaf Holzer

Photo: Dafna Tal for the Israeli Ministry of Tourism