Hikes in Pretoria

If you are, like me, in your mid 40’s and have done any reading on health in this stage of life you will know that walking is one of the most recommended activities. It has been recommended to me by my GP, my physio and my psychologist as well as the internet and this book. Eventually I had to accept that walking was going to be a part of my life.

I started early last year but then took a bit of a hiatus but started again this year with renewed determination. I discovered that while I don’t like going for a walk around my neighbourhood, on the road (its very boring), I do enjoy hiking or walking in nature. Coincidentally Eve found this group that does weekly walks/hikes in and around Pretoria. Not only do I get to walk but I also get to meet a new group of ladies, around my age. Win win!

As a result of all of this I have started exploring walking and hiking trails around Pretoria. I thought it would be fun to put together a list of the places I have walked, in case you also want to get up and out in nature.

Putting this post together I realised I have actually done a lot more walking than I realised this year.

1. Wolwespruit – I am adding this one first because it is my favourite and the one I walk the most. It is close to home, safe and I can take Coco with. It is also the prettiest walk I have done so far. You start walking along the river, through the forest which is very pretty and feels like you are walking through a fairy forest. They have 3 different trails – 5km, 6.5km and 10km. They do overlap some and I have only done the 5km so far.
   The first 3km of the 5km trail are relatively flat as it winds through the forest but then there is some elevation, that was very tough for me in the beginning. As you come out of the forest, you start up the mountain, so more elevation but it does feel easier than the first one and levels out pretty quickly. I struggle a lot with elevation, so it took me a while to work up to the 5km walk. The way the trails are laid out, short cuts are easy to work out.
   Summary
   The routes are well marked – the purple route is the 5km.
   Entrance is R45.
   Dogs are welcome, they can be off leash. It does get very busy on the weekends though, so keep that in mind.
   The park opens at 5h30.
   It is safe.
   There is a coffee shop on the premises that is dog friendly so you can have a coffee or breakfast afterwards
   The mountain bike trails do cross over the walking trails so you need to be on the look out, especially over the weekends when it does get very busy.
   Rating
   5/5
2. Die Bosveld – I have done this walk once and wish it was closer because it is a nice, easy walk with no elevation. You walk through the trees most of the walk, so it is nice and shady. They have 2 5km walks, one is easy and one is more advanced and a 10km, advanced walk. We did the easy 5km walk and if you are just starting out then this is a great one to start with. It is well marked but make sure you check the board before you start to make sure you know which colour trail you want to follow. They do also have mountain bike trails that cross over the walking trails, but the arrows don’t say MTB, they work on colours – so double check when you start.
   Summary
   The routes are marked but check the boards for the colours before you start.
   Entrance is R70.
   Dogs are welcome.
   Opening times are seasonal – check here before going.
   It is safe.
   There is a coffee cart on site for coffees afterwards. I think they also do have some chocolates, sweets etc
   Rating
   3/5
3. Headianga – I have a love/hate relationship with this trail. It is beautiful but I find it tough. It has a lot of elevation, which, as mentioned I still struggle with. I have managed to finish the 5km trail twice but the second time I did it I really struggled (it was pretty hot though when we went). They also have 3 trails, a 5km, 10km and a 15km. I have done the 5km and the website does say its a super easy walk – I am not sure I would classify it as super easy. I found the elevation here a lot more intense than at Wolwespruit.
   Summary
   The trails are clearly marked – the Green trail is the 5km route.
   Entrance is R70 (I think) – take cash. The first time we went they were only taking cash.
   Dogs are welcome.
   The park opens at 6h00
   It is safe.
   There is a coffee trailer that parks there over weekends.
   Rating
   4/5
4. Rosemary Hill – another one I wish was closer because it is such a beautiful, easy walk. They have two routes – a 5km and an 11km. The 5km is pretty easy with very little elevation. It winds through the farm, through the lavender fields, past all their different types of accommodation and other buildings on the farm. It is well marked but is on the farm so even if you get lost, its easy to find a road to reorientate yourself.
   Summary
   The routes are clearly marked.
   Entrance is R50.
   Dogs on leash are welcome.
   Opening times are seasonal – check here before you go.
   It is safe.
   There is a restaurant on site that makes delicious breakfasts.
   Rating
   4/5
5. Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve – This walk is very close to me but is not a very easy walk. I have done it a few times but different lengths each time because it is not very clearly marked. It is marked but it does get a little confusing. There is also quite a lot of elevation on this walk but it is very pretty once you get to the top. This is a municipal reserve so some parts are a little neglected but it is still a nice walk to do. There are zebra and other buck in the reserve so you can’t take your dogs with you. The website does have some distances on it but I am not 100% sure how accurate they are – I have walked a different distance each time I have been there but always around 5km.
   Summary
   Routes are super clear, check the website first for the names of the trails.
   Entrance is free.
   No dogs.
   Park opens at 6h00.
   It is safe.
   There is a restaurant on site for breakfasts and coffee.
   Rating
   3/5
6. Red Barn – I enjoyed this walk, it was another easy walk with no elevation. You walk through the forest, so it is nice and shady and very pretty. We walked on a very rainy day and it was fine, there were some muddy parts but because there is no elevation it is very manageable. There are two walks, I think – there is no information on their website but the trails are marked at the entrance. We walked the 5km and it was clearly marked.
   Summary
   The routes are clearly marked but check before you start walking which route you want to follow.
   Entrance is R70
   You can take dogs – it does get very busy over the weekends so keep that in mind.
   Park opens at 7h00
   It is safe
   There is a restaurant on site that has the best cappuccinos EVER!
   Rating
   4/5
7. Klapperkop Nature Reserve – I have walked this route twice now and I hated the first one, I was unfit, we got lost and it was hot. But when I did it again a few months later I loved it. It is still a tough hike but if you go prepared with enough water, some snacks even and the mindset it is going to be tough, it is actually nice.
   Summary
   We followed the red arrows the second time around and it ended up being about 9km. I think they did some upgrades between the first and second time I went because the route is pretty clearly marked.
   Entrance is free.
   No dogs (there is wildlife in the reserve)
   Park opens at 6h00
   I didn’t feel as safe as I did at the other walks but there is a lot of activity over the weekends.
   There is no restaurant
   Rating
   4/5
8. Rietvlei Nature Reserve – This is a guided walk as there are dangerous animals in the reserve so if want to walk, you need to book. All Trails does have a trail through the reserve but you can’t walk alone in the park. The walk itself is pretty easy, the reserve is fairly flat but there are a few inclines, depending on which route you walk. We were supposed to walk 7km but ended up doing 9km because we went looking for animals. So keep this in mind when if you book. The walks start at 8h00 which was already quite hot and there is zero cover or shade, so pack enough water.
   Entrance: There is a fee for the walk depending on who you walk with, we paid R130 which included the park entrance
   No dogs (there is wildlife in the reserve)
   Park opens at 6h00
   There is a coffee shop in the reserve.
   Rating
   3/5
9. Wonderboom Nature Reserve – I loved this walk. The ladies who had walked this before all said how hard it was so I was prepared for it to be tough and it does go straight up the mountain but then it levels out and you come back down. We did get lot but largely because Rene was trying to find the waterfall so we ended up walking about 8km. That said though the routes are not marked very clearly but it looks like there is only one of 2 trails – both go up the mountain, so there isn’t really an easier/harder option, just a longer/shorter one.
   Summary
   Pack water and be prepared for some heavy elevation. But the views at the top are spectacular and it is definitely worth it.
   Entrance is R47.
   No dogs (there is wildlife in the reserve)
   Park opens at 6h00
   I didn’t feel as safe as I did at the other walks but there is a lot of activity over the weekends.
   There is no restaurant
   Rating
   4/5
10. Rosewood Trails – this is a very new trail and I think they are maybe still working a few things out. The route starts at the restaurant, loops around and ends at the restaurant but it was not clearly marked when we went and when our group walked it a second time they got lost too. But it is not a very far trail – I think there is a 3km and a 5km trail but you could combine them and walk about 8km. It is also not a very tough trail with very little elevation. I didn’t love walking this one and actually skipped it when it was scheduled again.
    Summary
    It is a safe walk and great if you are just started out. The restaurant has delicious food but no milk alternatives for coffe.
    Entrance is R30
    No dogs (there is wildlife in the reserve)
    Park opens at I am not sure to be honest.
    Very safe
    There is a lovely restaurant
    Rating
    3/5
11. Jan Smuts House – we ended up doing this walk by default but it was actually really lovely. The trail starts at the Jan Smuts House and loops over and around the mountain, so it is tough but it is short – I think it was just over 3km. If I did it again I would possible do it twice because even though it does go up a bit, it was a pretty easy walk.
    Summary
    It is a safe walk and great if you are just getting used to elevations because it is a short walk.
    Entrance is R30 (I think)
    Dogs are allowed, leashed
    I am not sure of the times of the trail but it is earlier than the 9h00 as we got there there at about 8h45
    Very safe
    There is a lovely restaurant
    Rating
    3/5
12. Groenkloof Nature Reserve – I enjoyed this walk but I am not sure I will rush back. It was a pretty easy walk with the option to do a harder section, which we didnt do. We did spot giraffes while walking which was pretty cool considering the reserve is literally on the border of the CBD.
    Summary
    I didn’t feel very safe but mainly because of rumours I have heard about the reserve not being safe. It was pretty busy and a nice, easy walk.
    Entrance is R47
    Dogs are not allowed
    Park opens at 6h00
    I wouldn’t walk alone.
    There is no restaurant
    Rating
    3/5
    
    I will keep updating as I add new trails.
13. Nkwe Resort – I loved this walk so much, definitely one of my favourites. It is a new trail, so they are still adding info and trail markers but the white trail is currently very well marked. It is a 5km trail that zig zags through the resort – up the koppie, along the river etc. It is a perfect in between walk, you will get your heart rate up at some of the inclines but its not going to leave you completely exhausted. And you can jump in the pool afterwards!
    Summary
    This makes for a fun, day out hike. It is safe to leave older kids at the picnic spot while you walk if they don’t want to. Then once you are done you can have a picnic/braai.
    Entrance is R100
    Dogs are not allowed
    Park opens at 8h00 (this might change as the trail gains more momentum)
    You could walk this alone.
    There is no restaurant but you can braai.
    Rating
    5/5