Klipriviersberg Hikes

About Klipriviersberg Hikes

Start: Frandaph Drive, off Columbine Avenue, Mondeor
Finish: back where you started
Duration: over 20 km worth of well-marked hiking trails
Fitness: you need a good pair of boots and plenty of water, but trails range from easy to moderately challenging
Our tip: the trails are well marked and at the gate to the reserve is a board that outlines the trails; the easy trail is great for small kids
Cost: free to all who visit

What makes Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve such a bonus is its accessibility. It lies only 10 km from the city centre, close to the suburb of Mondeor. And it isn't that small either, over 700 hectares means that it has a diverse terrain and has game - zebra, red hartebeest, and black wildebeest. It's also highly rated as a birding spot, with over 200 species of bird, and that is without a wetland to speak of.

There are 20 km worth of trails throughout the reserve, and hikes range from really easy, flat trails, to strenuous trails that will give you a good work out - like the climb to the highest point (the beacon) in the reserve with clear views over the Johannesburg skyline (where else can you see a city skyline from a reserve?).

Names of the trails are: Bloubos Trail (light blue), Dassie Trail (green), Beacon Trail (yellow), Sunbird Trail (red), Ruins Trail (orange), Kiepersol Trail (brown), Legae Loop Trail (purple), Tswana Loop (pink), Gifbal Trail (black), Wildebees Trail (lime).

Self-guided rambles are encouraged, and the reserve remains open every day between sunrise and sunset.

There are guided walks on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, which are led by guides familiar with the terrain. And guided mid-week walks fall on the first and third Wednesday every month. These guided walks start from the entrance on Peggy Vera Road, Kibler Park (the south side of the reserve).

There are also bird walks on the third Saturday morning of every month, and specialist walks guided by specialists in various fields. Contact the reserve for details.