Tygerberg MTB Trails

About Tygerberg MTB Trails

Where: Durbanville, Cape Town
Level: easy to extreme
Type of route: most are circular routes with alternative options
Best: perfect throughout the year; a good alternative to the Tokai MTB trails

Tygerberg MTB club has designed an integrated network of trails in the Tygerberg / Belville area of Cape Town. Over 120 km of linked routes trail the Durbanville hills. You can download the maps for each route from their website.

Majik Forest – closed until negotiations for access to the upper and lower Majjik Forest are complete, this trail is regarded as a perfect 'after-work' ride, only a minute or so from Tyger Valley Shopping Mall. The loop has options ranging between 2 km and 15 km with a black section at the top of Majik for the super fit. No entrance fee (contributions welcome).

Hillcrest – available only to members, the trail has two concentric rings – the lower green route (testing rather than technical) with some great descents, and the higher red (you can combine the two). Include the Hillcrest red route single track for views over Table Bay that include Robben Island and Table Mountain.

Meerendal – one of the only trails built entirely by the Tygerberg MTB Club, it is perfect for family rides and has three interleading trails – yellow (5 km), Red (12 km) and Blue (18 km). The trails avoid any difficult climbs or rocky descents (even a beginner can handle Stairway to Heaven with its four constructed switchbacks).

Contermanskloof – fantastic single track on Contermanskloof farm (pay a trail fee), the trail has a green (easier option), blue (fairly technical) and black section. The single track climb gives incredible views over Table Mountain and Table Bay. This is one of the most popular of the trails.

Hoogekraal – this 8.5 km trail is set on the farm Hoogekraal on Vissershok Road (look out for the Tygerberg MTB sign). Combining jeep track with single track the trail heads through renosterveld and farmland. The trail is mildly technical to technical with a climb of 226 m over 4 km (with switchbacks and bends for distraction).

Bloemendal – divided into a lower and upper section. The lower is aimed at beginners or younger riders (a purpose built single track for those under 8 years of age). For lower follow the green trail which starts at a pump track before heading into a forest on single track, crossing into D'aaria and on to Lombards Terra. The upper is aimed at the more advanced cyclist, heading into Ntida, using the Hillcrest red route as a link.

No helmet. No ride.