Kingdom Trail

About Kingdom Trail

Start: Kingdom camp trail
Finish: Kingdom camp trail
Duration: 27 km, two/three days
Fitness: moderate to difficult
Our tip: you can abseil in the Olifants River Gorge, but need to have your own equipment

Kingdom Trail is a second hike available in the Oifants River Gorge on the 15 000 hectare private farm known as Kingdom Trails (the other is the Slagthoek Trail). The farm rests in a natural amphitheatre of the Olifants River Gorge, where the Wilge and Olifants rivers meet, not far from Loskop dam.

Kingdom Trail combines the Snaaksekrans and the Paradors routes to provide a good two day hike. This is not a basecamp hike, but moves from camp to camp.

The trail can start at any of the following camps – Kingdom Camp, Slagthoek House, or Stone Camp.

Day one
Paradors Loop is an 8 km circular route that climbs steeply from behind Kingdom Camp towards the open bushveld in the west of the farm. The hike continues through a shady kloof and past a natural fountain. Highlights include tree ferns, mountain zebra and eland, proteas and the naboom tree.

Day two
Snaaksekrans of 16 km has two possibilities: you can hike to either Slagthoek House (base camp for the Slagthoek Hike) or Grootdraai Hut. The hike to Slagthoek includes a river crossing of the Olifants River. The scenery far outweighs any battle with boulders and rapids, however. If there are heavy rains, use the low level bridge in the direction of Grootdraai Hut. To reach Slagthoek House involves a steep climb up the gorge.

If you hike to Grootdraai Hut, there are again two possibilities, depending on your love of river crossings. The first has no river crossing, whilst the second has two. A consideration worth taking, as there are crocodiles in the river.

The second choice is not an option if the river is swollen after rains.