The Giba Gorge MTB Park situated in Westmead KZN has over 30km of main trails which link up with another 10km of alternative routes.
There are 5 main trails, the Blue Route which is 16.3km, the 10.7km Green Route, the 4.6km Purple Route, the 1km Enduro Trail and the 1km Downhill Trail.
All of the trails (except the purple route) offer technical aspects with rocks, roots, drops and tight switch backs.
Other family offerings available at the Giba Gorge MTB Park is the Giba Café, picnic spots, BMX track and trails for runners.
Karkloof Mountain Bike Trails is just over an hour away from Durban and a few kilometres off the N3.
The trails are accessible year-round to recreational cyclists who can choose from 10km, 20km, 30km and cross country routes.
The trail park offers safe parking, hot showers and a place to wash your bike.
A day indemnity form must be completed and a fee of R30 paid at the Karkloof Country Club. Alternatively, annual membership fees are R450 for adults and R350 for under 18s
The Bottelary Hills MTB route runs over 20 farms in the Bottelary Hills Renosterveld Conservancy area just outside Stellenbosch. Funds from the MTB route are used to fund the conservancy.
There are five route options to choose from, The Red route which is 18.5km and is a medium to challenging ride with mainly jeep track and farm roads, the Yellow loop which is 6.5km and is graded easy to moderate,consisting of farm roads and single track, the Purple route which is 9.2km graded easy to moderate with mostly farm roads through vineyards, the 13km Green loop consisting of jeep track and farm roads and lastly the Orange 9.7km loop, ideal for beginners and consisting of jeep track and farm roads.
Day fees are applicable and available from the various starting points.
Previously a horse farm, Hakahana Trails consist of huge paddocks, rivers and bushveld traversing almost 50 separate properties 14km’s west of Pretoria.
The route network consists of five main trails, designed as individual loops of varying degrees of difficulty and distance with a mix of dual track, game path, district roads and hand built single track.
The 19km Blue Route has an elevation of 300m and is for the intermediate rider, the 4.5km Green Route has an elevation of 80m made up of mostly single track, the 8km Black Route has a 270m elevation and is known as a tough trail making it more suitable for the advanced rider. The 21km Red Route has a total elevation of 480m taking riders over and up the mountain and the 5.5km Purple Route rises to 130m and is a dedicated XCO track which is suitable for the advanced or expert rider.
Hakahana Trails also caters for children with a 1.1km Yellow Route which is suitable for children or beginners.
Refreshments and post ride eats are also available at the venue.
The trails are only open on Saturday and Sundays from 6am to 12pm in Summer (Sep – April) and 7am to 1pm in Winter (May – Aug) with single entries available at R40 and multiple entries (10) at R300.
Since its inception in 2009, the Cascades MTB Park has grown in popularity with cyclists over the years.
Having hosted the MTB World Championships on numerous occasions, this venue offers superb riding conditions in the heart of KZN and boasts a number of XCO, XCE and Downhill trails with the public able to access the trails for free.
The trails are maintained regularly thanks to the KZN MTB Commission who have taken charge of maintaining the Cascades area and the park is open all day, every day.
If you’re in the Joburg area looking for a MTB Route close to home, Braamfontein Spruit should be the name that pops to mind.
This 60km + endurance ride runs from Melville Koppies in the South all the way down to Paulshof in the North and is also one of Joburg’s most prominent greenbelts, with The Spruit effectively being a path that runs alongside the Jukskei river.
Virtually single track all the way, the route predominantly follows the water course with minimal technical sections en route making this an ideal ride for beginner to intermediate riders, but with sufficient options and variety to be entertaining and challenging for the more advanced cyclists too.
There are various starting points that one can access this route along from Emmarentia Dam to Delta Park to Albert’s Farm with picnic spots along majority of the route which is also used by runners and aquatic athletes.
Users of the Braamfontein Spruit Route are advised never to ride the route alone for security reasons.
Crazy Dave’s Bikepark offers five different lines, including a dual slalom and kids pump track. It is located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The Natures Valley MTB Trails are unmarked and lead over hills, through the forest and along single and jeep tracks with rocky and sandy terrains. It is located in the Tsitsikamma National Park by the Natures Valley Rest Camp.
The Avianto MTB Trails are situated within a scenic rural area around Muldersdrift in Gauteng. The trails are situated by the Aviano Clubhouse and offers two route options, a 6km beginner’s course on mainly jeep tracks and gravel roads and a 17km intermediate course with a handful of single track sections and some challenging climbs.
The Camelroc MTB Trails consist of two route distances, a 10km and 30km. It is situated by the Camelroc Guest Farm near Fouriesburg in the central Free State region.
The Gwahumbe Reserve MTB Trail consists of a fully-marked 18km route with single track sections. Situated in a game reserve, riders will get the chance to view various wildlife and bird species. The trails are located in the mid-Illovo region in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Jonkershoek/ Assegaaibosch Reserve MTB Trails are located on the slopes of the Jokershoek Mountains and consist of commercial forest plantations.
The plantations are regularly harvested, ensuring the trails are always changing, disappearing or being rebuilt.
There are two main trails – 15km and 30km, available to choose from and both start at the entrance gate.
The trails have an intermediate to technical grading.
Meerendal Trail has an easy to medium grading and is designed for riders of all levels of experience.
The route consists of three inter-leading trails – 5km, 12km and 18km, and can take up to two hours to complete.
Meerendal Wine Estate also features a 4km kiddie, 13km intermediate and 17km advanced route.
Tranquilitas features a number of single track MTB trails that will accommodate the skill set of any rider.
The trails have been designed to be fast, flowing and include views of various landmarks and historical sites in the area.
The climbs on the route are designed to be smooth and follow the contours of the landscape resulting in quick elevation gain.
If you’re looking for some of the best Single track riding then Mount Anderson is the place to be.
There are three signature rides available, The Goldrush, The Serengeti and The Pedi Ruins which boasts rocky single and double track terrain.
These are guided rides with a minimum group size of 6.
The Vlei Park MTB Trail is situated in Rietvlei and boasts an array of trails suitable to all levels of riding expertise.
You will find colour coded trails from the 4km Yellow trail for beginners, an 11km circular Jeep/Single/Forest track all amalgamated for the more intermediate riders and lastly, the blue and black trails which are for the more advanced riders.
The venue also has a day picnic facility and caters for various functions from birthdays to team-buildings.
A single ride entry is R25, Multi entry (10) is R150 and Annual Loyalty Membership is R960.
Groenkloof Nature Reserve is situated in the Fountains Valley which is just 5km outside of Pretoria and offers visitors the chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of busy city life by offering an array of outdoor activities which includes mountain biking.
The reserve itself was established by Paul Kruger in 1895 to protect game and wildlife from poachers and is South Africa’s first nature sanctuary.
All of the MTB trails are well marked, offering cyclists a unique ride on single and jeep track with a few technical points thanks to the overall rocky terrain, with riders being able to choose various route options on subsequent loops.
The terrain is a varying mix of single track, jeep track , bridge and river crossings, steep ascents and rocky climbs dependant on the riders choice of route and may include encounters with wildlife in the park.
Other activities visitors can choose to take part in at the reserve include horse, hiking and 4×4 trails as well as guided safaris through the park, picnic and braai areas.
Groenkloof Nature Reserve is open in the Summer months (Sep- Apr) from 5:30am to 7pm and during Winter (May-Aug) from 7am to 6pm and is located on the corner of Eeufees Road & Christina De Wit Ave in Pretoria.
Admission – R35 for adults; R20 for children aged 7 to 17 and R10 for children younger than 7.
Just a few minutes outside of Silverlakes is Rosemary Hills Farm.
The venue offers mountain bike riders three trail options, the 6km, 10km and 27km through beautiful rosemary fields, past dams and across streams.
The courses include forests, bridges, ruins, floating bridges across dams and drop-offs.
The latest edition to their venue is the 1km toddler trail which is free for children under the age of 6.
Entrance is R30 per adult and R15 per child.
This venue also has a coffee shop on site and kiddies play.
The Dunkeld Country Estate is just three hours outside of Johannesburg and is found just behind the picturesque town of Dullstroom, offering outdoor enthusiasts 36km of manmade trails which encompass numerous bridges and streams stretching over vast areas of prime country side on single track paths.
The Estate is situated at 2076m above sea level which is great for those cyclists looking to train at high altitudes.
There are three trails to choose from, the 8km Blue Forest Trail which is a scenic route traversing over single track and is set within the highest point in the Estate at 2080 meters above sea level.
The 15km Orange Mountain Trail is aimed at the intermediate to advanced riders and is a tough route with some steep climbs and gnarly descents with a great mix of single track and bridge crossings.
The 13km Green Trout Trail features a few water crossings and some beautiful forest terrain with some fast and furious sections.
The Estate also offers visitors an array of other activities which include fly fishing, clay pigeon shooting, archery, horseback riding and bird watching.
Located between Middelburg and Groblersdal in Mpumalanga is the Ruby MTB Trail which runs over seven properties in what is known as the Forever Resorts Loskop Country.
This trail is a challenging ride with portions of technical track suitable for the more intermediate rider.
There are child friendly tracks, short cuts that avoid the more technical portions and options to extend the distance on farm roads, this trail starts at the Ruby Cliff Horse Ranch, a Forever Resort and ranges anywhere from 14km to 40km’s.
The trails are open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset with free access to those staying at the Forever Resorts in the area and R50 for day visitors with bookings via the Loskopdam Resort essential.
An array of other activities are open to all staying at the resorts.
Sabie caters to both the novice and accomplished riders with 5 different MTB trails to choose from.
You have the easy 6km Yellow route, the 15km Green and 25km Blue routes for the intermediate riders and the 13km Black and 30km Red routes for the experienced riders.
All riders need to have a permit to access these routes, which are R30 for 1 to 2 days per person and R60 for 2 to 5 days per person.
No entries were found.