Timna Park is known to be one of the largest tourist attractions in the south of Israel having amazing geology, history, majestic views and a large number of unexpected activities to keep the guests entertained. It is located in the Negev desert of Israel and is about 30 km, to the north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Eilat city. The place is known to be rich in copper ore and is mined for centuries.

Timna Park gives its guests a beautiful scenic view, by being surrounded by the three yellow sandstone mountains on its three sides. The ancient copper mines, Mt.Timna as a red volcanic place at its center and a sandstone rock which is shaped into a giant mushroom. It might be a surprise for you all, but this desert even includes a lake, that’s right!! A lake in the desert. The place covers about 15,000 acres inside a horse-shaped valley that’s surrounded by the cliffs and includes the first-ever copper mine in the world known as “Mount Timna”.

The Ancient History of Timna Park The history begins at Timna Park from the very first copper mine discovered here known as “Mount Timna”. In the past, people used to create different everyday life tools from a copper metal such as; household tools, ornaments, weapons, objects, etc. It is known that copper was the first-ever metal to be used to create everyday life items therefore, the importance of this park has been great in the ancient world. There are many copper mines and mining shafts that you will find in Timna Park which also relate to ancient history. There are many documentaries developed regarding Timna Park that explain its ancient history and great stories are told about this place on multimedia to the public all over the world.

Natural Views at Timna Park At Timna Park, you will find natural beauty in many different ways. Here you will find Solomon pillars, that are the sandstone towers that look so beautifully drawn that you would not believe that they are naturally made this way and not by a human. Another view is the frozen volcanic magma in the cliffs. Timna Park looks like a piece of art thanks to the frozen volcano stripes. Another great view is the “Giant Mushroom”, also developed naturally that way thanks to winds forming it in the shape of a mushroom. Lastly are the previously discussed ancient copper mines telling different stories of their own to the public, giving them a glimpse of the past.

Activities at Timna Park There are a lot of activities held at Timna Park to keep their guests entertained. This includes hiking trails, which are both short and long to give different hiking experiences to its guests. Hiking helps guests get to see a glimpse of natural scenic views and experience wildlife, plants, and trees. It also includes a small lake within the desert which offers pedal boats to experience lake views within a desert which is unique actually. The ticket needs to be availed to get pedal boats working in the lake. As for kids, different small activities are held to keep them entertained such as; arts and crafts, sand bottling in a uniquely colored sand area and much more. It even includes a restaurant and a ground for camping.

How to Visit this Park? It’s very important to know the directions of this park whenever you are visiting it. It’s a 15-minute drive through the Arvana/Arabah and is about 15-18km in the north of the city of Eilat. It is not advisable to reach the park barefoot as it will take a lot of time due to sand therefore, best would be to drive there. This park is open daily from 08:00 am to 4:00 pm and closes 1 hour early on Friday. Its entrance fee is $12.67 for adults and $10.37 for kids.