Eshkol National Park, National park in Southern District, Israel

Eshkol National Park covers about 3,000 dunams of the northern Negev beside Road 241, between the Urim and Ma'on junctions, east of the Besor streambed. At its centre is Ein HaBesor, the largest spring in the Besor basin, whose saline water feeds a large artificial pool held at a constant 20°C. Lawns, picnic tables, barbecue corners and splash pools fill the grounds, and the mound of Khirbet Shalala rises to the east.

The grounds have yielded archaeological finds from several periods, including settlement layers from the Middle Bronze Age through the Hellenistic era. This long sequence of occupation shows that people have been drawn to this water source for thousands of years.

The park is named after Levi Eshkol, Israel's prime minister from 1963 to 1969, and was created on land of the Merhavim regional council, which helped found it; the nearby Eshkol regional council shares the name but not the territory. The spring at its centre is called Ein HaBesor in Hebrew and Ein Shalala in Arabic.

The spring feeds a large artificial pool kept at a constant 20°C year-round, but bathing in it is prohibited; the shallow splash pools and lawns lie nearby. The park covers about 3,000 dunams beside Road 241 between Urim and Ma'on junctions, east of the Besor streambed. Much of the area near the pools burned in May 2021, so some paths may still be affected.

The park is named after Levi Eshkol, an Israeli prime minister known for his role in developing the country's national water system. It is no coincidence that a park built around a natural spring carries his name.