Soutpansberg Forest MTB Trails

About Soutpansberg Forest MTB Trails

Where: above Louis Trichardt are a couple of forests on the mountain
Level: for all levels
Type of route: forestry roads, gravel roads and farm roads
Distance: 4 km - 22 km and an XCO Route
Tip: during summer it can get hellishly hot

The Soutpansberg forms a natural boundary between South Africa and the rest of the African continent north of it. This range of mountains unfolds just north of Louis Trichardt for well over 100 km between the Leshiba Wilderness Reserve to the east, and the Makuya Game Reserve in the east.

Along its length are a couple of state forests – Hangklip and Entabeni – that provide permit-only trails and day rides along their forestry service roads. In amongst the trails are tea estates, the sacred Fundudzi lake, and the Holy Forest of Thathe Vondo.

For circular and more contained trails head to Hangklip Forest, where you start and finish at the Hangklip Arboretum. There are five marked routes for beginners and moderate riders and a cross-country (XCO) route for more experienced riders.

All of the routes are marked with trail arrows and include a mixture of single track through indigenous forest, and forestry roads. There is a picnic site in the forest.

Entabeni forest has trails through bluegum tree plantations and sporadic patches of indigenous forest. These are longer trails including a three-day and four-day route.

Finally, the Kremetart Route is a road route named after the annual Kremetart Cycling Stage Race. It is 175 km route that leaves Makhado (Louis Trichardt) along the N1, goes up and then down the Soutpansberg Mountain before taking the R523 to Waterpoort, north of the Soutpansberg.

The route is named for the baobab, or kremetart, trees that line the road. Keep going until the R521, which you take in the direction of Vivo, before turning left again fairly shortly (6 km) onto the R522 all the way back to Makhado.