HIKING HA-YARKON PARK or GANEI YEHOSHUA, TEL AVIV (02 MAY, 2009)

Had a very pleasant hike through the banks of Yarkon River, Tel Aviv. As usual, the Midrasha Hiking Club organized the trip very efficiently and the 11 km stretch through the green shores of Yarkon supplemented with a very nice weather, made the journey one of the easiest I had so far in Israel.

Also known as Ganei Yehoshua, the park is a favorite spot for picnics and sports activities. The 3250-acre HaYarkon National Park lies on the banks of the Yarkon River.The park has extensive lawns, sports facilities, botanical gardens, an aviary, a water park, two outdoor concert venues and artificial lakes. The park has six gardens and the Rock Garden is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Yarkon is the largest coastal and the second largest river in Israel, after the Jordan. Originating near the Biblical Tel Afek (Antipatris) from the Rosh Hayin Springs, the Yarkon River flows 27.5 km through Hayarkon Park into the Mediterranean Sea, just near the Tel Aviv Port. Scattered along the shores of Yarkon are ruins from ancient historical sites, some date even from 12^th cent BC

However, the Yarkon River is notorious for its polluted waters. The river became increasingly polluted after the 1950s, mainly attributed to the Reading Power Station which is situated near its mouth. In 1988, Hayarkon River Authority was established to rehabilitate the river and improve its conditions.