גן לאומי גבעות הכורכר נס ציונה, National Park with sandstone hills in Ness Ziona, Israel
Giv'ot HaKurkar is a national park covering about 800 dunams of land with sandstone hills covered in diverse Mediterranean and desert plant life. The hills sit directly next to residential areas, creating a clear boundary between urban neighborhoods and natural landscape.
The area was once covered with citrus orchards and later used as a landfill before local residents campaigned to have it protected. This transformation from an exploited landscape to a protected space shows how community action changed the land's fate.
Local volunteers known as Hill Guardians maintain the pathways and organize clean-up activities while teaching visitors about environmental conservation. This hands-on approach has made the park an important space where people learn to care for their natural surroundings.
The park is accessible from the intersection of Hyacinth Street and Kurkar Hills Road, with parking available on nearby streets. It is best to wear comfortable shoes since the hills feature walking paths on uneven terrain.
The purple iris, a flower species found only in Israel's coastal regions, blooms extensively across the hills between February and March. This makes the park a special destination during this season for nature observers and photographers.
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