Rooikrans Trail

About Rooikrans Trail

Start: base camp on Rooikrans farm close to Loskop Dam nature reserve, 150 km from Johannesburg
Finish: base camp
Duration: 2, 3 day trails, 30 km
Fitness: moderate
Our tip: the routes are very well sign posted and there are numerous bridges, steps, chains and rails to help on the route; watch out for the steep access road to the farm

Rooikrans trail is situated on a cattle and game farm with its own natural springs, over 110 different indigenous trees that provide shade during summer, cool kloofs, streams, rock pools, a shoe string waterfall during summer, supporting ladders and board walks, and no cell phone reception other than in high areas on the trails.

Game includes kudu, bushbuck, impala, duiker, klipspringer, small cat, porcupine,, monkeys, meerkat, jackal, honey badger and warthog.

There are three circular trails, with each overnight at base camp – great for novice hikers as you do not have to carry heavy backpacks. By combining trails one and two, you can make up a rather strenuous 15.8 km trail as part of a weekend backpack trail.

Trail one:
Witpens kloof 7.6km

Trail two:
Job se kloof 11.4 km

Trail three:
Draad kloof 5.4 km

The overnight facilities in the central hut, are well maintained. There is also a further rondavel camp – more private, and meant for a maximum of eight people.

Two of the hikes begin along the same initial route, but perservere as the second is really very different further on.

Expect: lovely rock formations, open grassland, gorges, red krantzes, and aloes (when in full bloom, these are incredible), and wonderful, unhindered views over Loskop Dam.