Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve

About Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve

Just south east of Pretoria, in the Dinokeng, you will find the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve - one of several private and public reserves and hideaways in the area - that offers a variety of activities and wildlife. A combination that is hard to beat so close to a major city.

Did you know? The Roodeplaat Dam reserve's major advantage is its access from Pretoria - less than half an hour away.

What started as simply an irrigation dam evolved into a 200 000 hectare nature reserve providing anglers the chance to pull a bass, carp or kurper, walkers the opportunity to hike around the dam, and birders two bird hides on the edges of the dam for observing the birdlife in the area.

The best times to be here are obviously the very early mornings and evenings when birds and wild animals are most active. It's certainly the best time to spot the black-backed jackal. Otherwise kudus, warthogs, blue wildebeest, zebra, impala and an array of water birds that include the finfoot, osprey, purple swamp hen and white-winged tern will not leave you disappointed.

Most people visit Roodeplaat Dam as part of a day trip. Bring a picnic and settle on the banks of the dam where there are tables for this purpose under a series of trees. Or canoe, sail or fish from the bankside.

The southern banks of the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve are best for wildlife, picnicking, and bird watching, whilst the northern shores are exclusively for water sports and fishing, with a few basic camp sites.

Each shore has its own entrance – the northern reserve directly from the R573, the southern via the Zambezi offramp from the N1 as if you're going to Cullinan.