7 picture-perfect spots for a family picnic this Sukkot

You do not have to deal with long hiking routes, traffic jams, or overcrowded nature sites during the Sukkot holiday. Sometimes all you need is a food basket, a mat, a few free hours, and a scenic location to set up camp, preferably one with a view that makes the drive worthwhile. Here are several spots across the country that are particularly suited for a picnic during Hol Hamoed.

The person who named this area "Little Switzerland" may never have actually been to Switzerland. On the other hand, it is truly beautiful here in the most authentically Israeli sense. Little Switzerland in the Carmel region is a lush, forested expanse offering magnificent viewpoints, along with countless options for picnics in relatively intimate spots or facing open vistas. Any choice will be great, but our recommendation is Haniyon Halananiot (Anemone Campsite), located right near the University of Haifa. It provides high, beautiful viewpoints facing west, as well as semi-hidden picnic corners. The site features picnic tables, benches, and drinking fountains.
On Waze: Haniyon Halananiot.
Looking for more? Take a circular family hike along upper Nahal Kelah or combine a picnic with a walk through the Forties Grove (Horshat Ha'Arba'im).

Beit Keshet Forest in the Nazareth Hills covers 25,000 dunams, which means countlessly charm-filled corners. How do you choose? Simply drive along the 18-kilometer scenic route paved through the forest and stop at whichever picnic area appeals to you most. Sites with scenic lookouts are naturally preferred. You can picnic at the Forester's House campsite (Haniyon Beit Hayaran), which offers numerous picnic tables. Additional tables in the forest can be found at the Mount Devora and Churchill campsites. It is also recommended to stop by the Laudermilk campsite, which features benches facing the Netofa Valley.
On Waze: Beit Keshet Forest (the scenic road can be reached from the Golani Junction, Nof Hagalil, or the gate of Kibbutz Beit Keshet).
Looking for more? Take a short walk along the trail leading to the Forester's House lookout, which overlooks the expanses of the Lower Galilee.

Britannia Park is likely the crown jewel for picnic enthusiasts in the central region and the Shfela. It contains numerous campsites, family hiking trails, and beautiful scenic lookouts toward the Coastal Plain and the Shfela expanses. Simply drive along the well-signposted roads and pick the spot that suits you best, but our top recommendation is the Mitzpe Massua area, which looks down from on high toward the Coastal Plain on one side and the Jerusalem Hills on the other. One of the site's landmarks is a striking, photogenic tower. Nearby, you will find picnic tables, a water faucet, and restrooms.
On Waze: Mitzpe Massua (it is recommended to arrive via Route 38 - Beit Guvrin-Beit Shemesh).
Looking for more? Take a circular walk along the "Wells and Cisterns Trail" in Britannia Park, or try the Mitzpe Massua Loop Trail.

Surprised by this pick? Well, some people always prefer staying in the city and find picnics in nature less appealing. For them in particular, here is an urban recommendation: Ra'anana Park. This huge, well-maintained park offers plenty of picnic spots, some of them shaded, along with a coffee cart, drinking fountains, restrooms, and more. It also features walking and cycling paths, playgrounds, sports fields, a lake, environmental sculptures, and other amenities.
On Waze: Ra'anana Park.
Looking for more? Simply stroll along the walking paths, which total about two kilometers in length, and discover additional charming corners.

In this case, do not expect organized picnic benches or drinking fountains, but rather a field-style picnic right on the beach. Here, in the northern Sea of Galilee, the "Hidden Waterfall" bursts out from between basalt rocks directly into the vast Sea of Galilee before it. Granted, it is not a classic picnic site, but nothing beats standing beneath the cool water cascading overhead and then setting up an elaborate picnic with chairs and a table brought from home, with the distance to the car being relatively short. As for the view, it offers the Sea of Galilee in all its glory.
On Waze: The Hidden Waterfall Capernaum. There is safe parking slightly west of the trail heading down to the waterfall.
Looking for more? Take an easy walk eastward along a marked trail on the shoreline. Keep walking until you get tired, and head back the same way.

Ramon Crater: Not a spot of shade in sight, right? Wrong. Ramon Crater Colors National Park offers a drive that serves as a multi-colored geological journey. Quarries used to operate here, but over time the area was rehabilitated into a desert gem. The driving route winds along roughly seven kilometers past numerous points of interest, but you can enjoy a shaded picnic next to the "Clay Factory," where all that remains is a monstrous iron pipe resembling a formidable cannon (originally the factory's kiln). Beside it are comfortable picnic tables under shade structures, along with illustrated explanatory signs detailing the strange marine creatures that swam here millions of years ago when the entire area was covered by sea. Your scenic view includes sections of the Ramon Crater, including the spectacular Moon Dune.
On Waze: Ramon Colors National Park.
Looking for more? Drive to all points of interest along the marked travel route, check out the nearby vulture lookout, and visit the Stone, Wind, Water site.

With all due respect to Lahav Forest, those seeking a less-trafficked forest right on the edge of the desert should head to Yatir Forest in the northern Negev. It is one of the largest forests in the country, covering roughly 37,000 dunams and containing nearly 900,000 trees. It has everything travelers need: Hiking trails, picnic campsites, scenic lookouts over the forest and its surroundings, and archaeological ruins, all framed by pines, cypresses, eucalyptuses, terebinths, tamarisks, and more. Our recommendation: Drive along the signposted nine-kilometer forest road and choose your spot. The various recreation sites, including Armoni Lookout, Devora Campsite, Scandinavia Campsite, Olives Campsite, and Yildei Yisrael Campsite, feature water faucets and picnic benches.
On Waze: Yatir Forest. It is recommended to arrive via the Shoket Junction (Route 31).
Looking for more? Take a walk along the short, charming Agricultural Installations Trail, which features water cisterns, an ancient winepress, and other historical artifacts.