“Akkar”, Mountains, Woods & more – “Akkar Trail” team

Cover image: Khaled Taleb, Akkar trail team

Akkar is one of the most diversified regions in Lebanon, nature-wise. It is characterized by its mountains that include many forests and around 70% of the plant species known in Lebanon. Akkar trail’s main mission is to encourage the practice of all outdoor sports on Akkar mountain trails.

Akkar trail’s goals:
• Encourage Eco-tourism on mountains trails in Akkar.
• Create new trails along with maintaining the old one.
• Archive the biodiversity present on the trails.
• Support the local economy and community (Guest houses…).
• Promote Eco-tourism in Akkar by capturing its beauty and sharing the photos.
• Train local guides.
• Publish indicative booklets about Akkar and its trails.
• Organize awareness campaigns about the environment.
• Organize guided trips to Akkar’s trails.
• Encourage outdoor sports like rock climbing, biking, bird-watching, free skiing…

Akkar trail’s team:
Akkar trail’s team consists of local mountain guides, along with specialists, researchers and university students, bound together by their passion of presenting Akkar in the best way possible.
Akkar trail’s accomplishments:
• Specifying 30 walking trails in the mountains of Akkar.
• Documenting new plant species that were unknown to Akkar and Lebanon.
• Helping many university students voluntarily with their thesis research.
• Accompanying researchers with their studies about Akkar’s governorate (studies about pants, geology…)
• Creating an herbarium to preserve plants and an insectarium to preserve different kinds of insects.
• Specifying new trails for rock climbing and biking, in collaboration with active clubs.
• Promoting eco-tourism in Akkar through documentaries.
• Promoting local products and cultivation.

• Organizing awareness campaigns and environmental activities.
• Publishing many indicative booklets about the different trails in Akkar.
• Presenting guiding to many groups along the walking trails in Akkar.
• Organizing many workshops for photography and mountain guiding.
In conclusion, Akkar, as well as other Lebanese areas, lacks ecological initiatives and perhaps, Akkar trail will be a light in the darkness in the area of benefiting from its natural wealth, which is its true legacy. But those efforts can only pay in case of raising awareness and promoting protection and realization of the importance of those forests and mountains.

Facebook: Akkar trail درب عكار

Instagram: Akkartrail

Explore the gorgeous Oak forest, start your hike from the GPS readings 34.4912300, 36.2564600 to reach the ending GPS readings 34.477530, 36.210230