Har HaCarmel National Park, National park and nature reserve in Zvulun Regional Council, Israel.
Har HaCarmel National Park is a large nature reserve spanning the Carmel mountain range in northern Israel, covered with pine, eucalyptus, and cypress forests. The terrain includes valleys and ridges, each with different plant life and views depending on where you walk.
People have lived in this region since prehistoric times, leaving behind hundreds of archaeological sites throughout the area. Druze communities settled in the region during the late 15th century and became part of its ongoing story.
The Arabic name Jabal Mar Ilyas, Mount Saint Elijah, links the range to the prophet Elijah, venerated here by Jews, Christians and Muslims. The three Druze villages of Isfiya, Daliyat al-Karmel and Beit Oren sit as enclaves inside the park's continuous open land, and Druze residents of Isfiya and Daliyat al-Karmel long farmed plots within it.
The park has marked walking trails and bicycle routes at different difficulty levels, taking you through various landscape types. Rest areas and viewpoints are scattered throughout, so you can choose your own pace and where to spend time.
The park holds over 250 archaeological sites of prehistoric habitation, with ancient settlement remains found in caves in the hillsides. In 1996 UNESCO recognized the Carmel area as a biosphere reserve. The name Mount Mar Elias, used in Arabic for the range, refers to Saint Elijah.
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