Shouf mountains

The Shouf cedar reserve is an area set up in the mountains of the Shouf region, about 30km southeast of Beirut. On the slopes of the mountains there are three cedar forests of which the Barouk forest is the largest one with an area of 400 ha.
The reserve is accessible by car. The final part of the road is a narrow (but still paved) mountain road which climbs until 1450m above sea level. At the very top there is a small parking for cars.
The Shouf Cedar reserve is one of the few remaining patches of cedar forest in Lebanon. Once Lebanon was completely covered by cedar forest, but over the centuries the cedars were almost all cut because of their wood.
There are a number of trails crossing the cedar forest. A short one (20 minutes) and an intermediate one (2 hours). The forest is not that dense.
The mountain road continues and after crossing a mountain pass at 1800m the road enters the Bekaa valley.