Blyde River Canyon Hiking Trail - Mpumalanga Tourism And Parks Agency
Our motto: Hike more, worry less…
About
Easily one of the most moving and memorable natural phenomena in the province of Mpumalanga, the Blyde River Canyon reveals profound evidence of some of the earth’s most significant events that took place more than 200 Million years ago. Named by the Voortrekkers in 1844, the Blyde River Canyon is the largest Green Canyon in the world reaching over 26 Kilometres and is over 800 meters deep. With a number of draw cards appealing to outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers from near and far, some of the more popular sites in the Blyde River Canyon include the Three Rondavels, Kadishi Tufa Waterfalls, the Pinnacle, God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, Echo Caves
Offered in the Package:
- Transport/shuttle service from where the hikers park their cars to where the trail
- Crockery and cooking utensils are provided
- Camping mattress, mattress protector, fitted sheet, bath towel and tissues
- Housekeeping service
- Slackpacking service
- Transportation of food and clothes from one facility to the next
- Provision of wood
- Solar lantern
Trails
3 Day, 2 Night Trail: Slackpack
This 30km, three day trails, transverse half of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve as well as privately owned land, from the misty heights of Graskop to the Bourke’s Luck Potholes. The trail transverses a beautiful mountain range with a variety of bush, open veld, riverine and flat spaces. This is indeed a hiker’s paradise and a feast for the eyes.
Although the route tends to follows the contour lines, the terrain is mountainous and at times a medium degree of fitness is required. This route is marked by yellow footprints, painted onto rocks.
Day 1: Paradise Camp to Watervalspruit Hut – 3km
Your park your vehicle at Bourkes Luck Potholes and the shuttle transports you to the Paradise Camp which is the start of the trail. The shuttle will take your luggage to the 1st camp, Waterfallspruit whilst you are walking the 3km. Paradise Camp, is on the God’s Windo loop road outside the town of Graskop. The route takes you through montane grassland, past weathered quartzite rocks into the little Watervalspruit valley and ultimately onto the Watervalspruit Hut. The trail cannot be started after 15h00
Day 2 – Watervalspruit Hut to Cleartream Hut – 13.5km
The trail takes you approximately 13.5km through a landscape of strangely sculptured rocks which are brightly coloured and highly visible lichens, into the Treur river valley. Skirting ravines and patches of indigenous forest and the beautiful Clearstream with two striking waterfalls of about 30m high, you arrive at the Clearstream Hut
Day 3 – Clearstream to Bourke’s Luck Potholes – 13.6km
This 13.6km stretches od the trail leaves the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve just beyond the Clearstream to follow the Treur river past the new chum falls. On this section, the trail passes a spot where the wagons of the great trek reconnaissance party were believed to have camped. The trail re-enters the Nature Reseve just before Bourke’s Luck Potholes, which marks the confluences of the Treur and Blyde rivers and the start of the Blyde River Canyon. Walking through the Bourke’s Luck complex, one finds the old mine hut, a onetime housing site of the miner
You finish at Bourke’s Luck Potholes where your vehicles are parked and the shuttle will be there with your luggage.
Accommodation
Waterfallspruit Hut:
- Sleeps 15
- No Electricity
- Flush Toilets
- Cold Showers
Clearstream Hut:
- Sleeps 15
- No Electricity
- Flush Toilets
- Cold Showers
