Walking/hiking

The Cederberg has a range of hiking trails that vary in intensity, including routes to fascinating rock formations, like the Maltese Cross and Wolfberg Arch, or refreshing  waterfalls.

Multi-day hiking

The Cederberg Wilderness Area is one of the most undisturbed parts of South Africa. The hiking trails of the Cederberg Heritage Route have made this beautiful area more accessible  to hikers, from beginners to experienced enthusiasts. The heritage route, one of the Cape’s top 12 hiking trails, offers four overnight guided walking trails.

Hiking trails

This Cederberg Wilderness is divided into three utilisation zones, which helps limit the impact of visitors. There are three blocks of about 24 000 hectares each and numbers are limited to 50 people per block per day. Groups are limited to a minimum of three and a maximum of 12  people per day. Please book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

The wilderness is for the more independent hiker. A 1:50 000 topographical map from the Algeria office is indispensable in planning your hike. Always check the weather forecast before departing. Fires are forbidden, so take a gas stove. Trails may be closed at certain times of the year depending on the weather conditions (click on link to view prevailing weather conditions in the Cederberg).

Easy to use trail maps for these hiking trails created by Forge can be downloaded here.

Huts

Huts along hiking trails are shelters only during bad weather spells – they have no beds. Accommodation and campsites are available at Algeria and Kliphuis.

Help us protect nature

No pets/no firearms/no fires/no picking of flowers or collecting of seeds/no rubbish bins – all  refuse must be carried out of the wilderness area/no toilets – all waste and toilet paper must  be buried with a spade or trowel.

Permits

Various day hikes are available. Permits may be purchased at the reserve office or bookings can be made through CapeNature Central Reservations.

Day hiking permits for the Wolfberg Arch are available from Sanddrif, Driehoek and Keurbosfontein. Day permits to visit the Stadsaal Cave and Truitjieskraal are available at Algeria, Driehoek, Sanddrif, Kromrivier, Nuwerus and Oasis. Permits for Pakhuisberg and rock climbing at Rocklands are available at Kliphuis campsite, de Pakhuys, Travellers Rest and Kleinfontein.

Overnight hiking permits can be purchased through the CapeNature Contact Centre or the Algeria office.

Trail preparation

Wear comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and a hat.

• Do not hike alone.
• Carry enough food and water with you.
• Make sure you know what the weather conditions are before you depart.
• Take a warm jacket/raincoat in winter.
• Make sure you have a relevant map of the area.
• Take a field medical kit with you for emergencies.
• Obey all signage.
• Stay in a group and on the trails.

For more information on these trails, please contact the Algeria office.

Uitkyk Trail   

Estimated time: 3 hours

A short, steep trail that offers fantastic views of the Cederberg Mountains and the Algeria valley.

Waterfall Trail

Estimated time: 3 hours

This trail from Algeria up to the Middelberg Waterfall is moderately steep and well-marked, offering a pleasant hiking experience. The area also serves as an excellent location for a picnic.

Maltese Cross

Estimated time: 5 hours

A well-marked trail that begins with a mild uphill walk heading towards the imposing Maltese Cross. Hikers return along the same route, with fantastic mountain views along the way. Make sure you have a valid hiking permit from Sanddrif (tel: +27 (0)27 482 2825).

Wolfberg Arch          

Estimated time: 8 hours

This begins as a strenuous walk that eases as you approach the arch via the Wolfberg Cracks. This route is not for beginners or the unfit, but it does reward with fantastic views of the Cederberg Mountains along the way. Hikers need to ensure they have a valid permit from Sanddrif.

Tel: +27 (0)27 482 2825

Cederberg Heritage Route

The Cederberg Heritage Route offers a collection of six community-based hiking trails in the Cederberg Mountains. The five shorter trails can range from two to five nights duration, depending on optional extra days that may be chosen. The Cederberg 100 Trail is an eight night-seven day trail of about 100km in length.

The Cederberg hiking trails are fully inclusive of all accommodation, meals, donkey cart drives, entrances & park fees. Guests stay at comfortable guesthouses, guest cottages or homestays, some in the picturesque Moravian mission villages. The hikes are escorted by local community members. As overnight luggage is transported to the next night’s stay, walkers only have to carry day packs. These are true slackpacking hiking trails. Guided rock art visits are an optional extra.

The Cederberg Heritage Route is deeply involved with community development in that our trails make extensive use of services provided by the small, remote communities in the Moravian Church area of the eastern Cederberg, centered on the mission village of Wupperthal. These services, for which we have provided detailed guidelines, include accommodation, catering, luggage transport, rides in the traditional donkey carts of the area and guiding, which provide some much needed cash income for these rural communities. We have also helped four of the Moravian villages to establish their own Tourism Committees with formal constitutions and have provided interest free loans for upgrading two of the village guest cottages and for making pack donkey harnesses for luggage transport on routes that wheeled vehicles are not able to negotiate.

Reservations

For Cederberg Heritage Route reservations, contact the Cederberg Heritage Route directly: 

Tel: +27 (0)83 468 8030

Email: chrtrails@gmail.com

Visit www.cedheroute.co.za for more information.