X-Trax Trails

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.

Central Park Bike Trails is situated in Modderfontein Reserve and are maintained by Two The Core Events, who are also responsible for the planning and cutting of new trails and offers cyclists looking to test their skills on some unique tracks, the ideal destination to do just that.

There are four main routes for cyclists to explore, the 10km Orange Route which consists of mainly Jeep Track with some climbs along the way and no overly technical sections, the 20km Green Route which has a combination of Jeep and Single Track traversing up a few mild climbs, the 30km Yellow Route which is mostly Single Track with some Jeep Track and fun technical sections and the 40km Red Route which mimics the Yellow Route but also boasts a ton of rocks, drop-offs and tight corners.

For those riders looking for more of a challenge, they can try their luck on the Klondike Section / Black Route which is an extra 4km loop with tons of technical sections, rocks, drop-offs and tight corners – not for the faint hearted.

All of the trails loop back to each other so riders can choose to shorten their ride.

Visitors to the reserve are also able to use the picnic area located at the Fish Eagle Dam where fishing is permitted on a catch and release basis.

The operating times are Tuesday to Sunday from 6am to 6pm with the park remaining open on a Wednesday evening until 10pm for Night Riding.

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.

Situated perfectly between Centurion and Johannesburg, Northern Farm is a mountain bikers dream location, with varying terrain suitable for all fitness levels and for the whole family based in a safe environment.

The MTB Routes have been established on an actual working farm that spans more than 2500 hectares, with animals and farm vehicles having the right of way.

Cyclists have four main routes to choose from here, the 12km Green Route which is classified as relatively easy over farm roads, the 22km Blue Route which has a nice mix of farm roads, single track and easy obstacles for the beginner rider, the 34km Red Route which is suited to the intermediate rider and has a mix of single track and obstacles and the 62km Black Route which has a few  technical sections and obstacles laden on single track, suitable for the intermediate rider.

The kiddies also have their own 8km Pink Route which is set on farm roads with all routes clearly marked.

On completion of your ride, you can take advantage of the onsite coffee shop while you have your bike washed or try to identify some of the 270 recorded bird species found in the Diepsloot Nature Reserve.

The farm is open on weekends and public holidays from 6:30am to 5:30pm  from May to August and 6am to 6pm from September to April.

Cyclists are required to purchase entry tickets on arrival to the farm at R40 per person.

Located in the heart of Gauteng is the PwC Bike Park, one of the first international standard cycle parks in Gauteng.

There is something for the whole family from a tarred kids track for the littlies, junior mountain bike trail, pump track or multi tiered BMX track to four main trails for the older riders.

The Green Circle track is easy flowing, incorporating both single and jeep track and is perfect for new riders, the Blue Square track is faster and is more suited towards the intermediate rider with technical sections, the Black Diamond track is fast and challenging – perfect for the more experienced rider and the Double Black Diamond Track is laden with fast, dangerous single track suitable for the expert or professional cycling category.

The park has a number of Mountain Bikes, BMX’s and Kids Straddle Bikes available for hire, picnic spots and braai facilities on site, running trails as well as a jungle gym and jumping castle also available for the kids.

Fees are R20 for riders under five, R50 for riders under 12, R60 for riders under 18 and R75 for adult riders.

The park is open from Monday to Sunday, 6am to 6pm.

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.

This dirt road MTB trail which is the only road between Rustenburg and Hartbeespoort, is set in the magificent Magaliesberg countryside.

Cyclists can take advantage of a 50km plus distance ride starting from the  Hekpoort Petrol Station or tryout the 10km trail from Sugarbush Hill Cottages.

The  grading is intermediate to difficult, with riders choosing to use this route in training for the cycling events like the Magalies Monster –  you can also pre plan your ride options by referring to the Automobile Association’s Magaliesberg Map.

Other attractions include Sugarbush Hill hiking trails and a multitude of restaurants and shops to browse through and relax in.

Open to the public for more than thirty seven years, the privately owned Mountain Sanctuary Park is nestled in the Magaliesberg Mountains.

There is a 12km bike trails for MTB enthusiasts to tackle, with this specific trail forming part of the Magalies Monster race and is not for the faint hearted.

Cyclists can also take advantage of some of the other dirt roads with terrain ranging from easy like the Barnardsvlei Road to seriously physical such as the Breed’s Neck Mountain Pass

Other attractions include a braai and picnic facility as well as nature walks and walking trails.

Day visitors are welcome but bookings are essential as there are a limited number of guests allowed in the park daily.

Day visitors entry fee: Per person – R100; Children under 12 – R60

B’sorah MTB Trails is spread out on one thousand six hundred hectares of game and cattle farm, situated between Hartbeespoortdam and Krugersdorp, an hour away from the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The 22km route is made up of challenging climbs and downhill strips, jeep tracks and some technical aspects with turn-offs for shorter distances along the way. Cyclists can also purchase their own route map and create or extend your own route.

Other attractions to B’sorah Trails also include a variety of running and hiking trails, picnic areas and various accommodation offers on site.

Entry is R25 per person per day.

The MTB track found at Bass Lake Adventures is set in the seventy five hectare estate, on the 4×4 trail.

The 9km track boasts very technical sections, laden with a wide range of obstacles and can be extended by backtracking over certain areas.

The site is demarcated with information pointer boards with maps available at the Outdoor shop.

Visitors to Bass Lake Adventures can also look forward to the coffe shop on premises, try their hand at some of the other adventure activities on offer including archery and scuba diving, or take advantage at their accomodation offers.

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 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.

The Big Red Barn situated minutes from Centurion is a mountain biker’s haven with a variety of trails with varying lengths to choose from.

There is 27km “Blast off” trail for the more experienced riders, a 16km “Easy Rider” trail suitable for beginners, 12km fast free flowing trail and even a 4.2km suitable for children under adult supervision.

Other family activities available at the Red Barn include Acrobranch and trail runs with a restaurant and picnic spots available on site.
Tickets for adults are R45pp and R25 for kids under the age of 12. There are also MTB guides available for hire.

Boschkop MTB Park is situated just east of Silverlakes in Pretoria.

The Park offers over 15km of single track with technical features through rivers and over boardwalks and is suited for beginners & more advanced riders.

Entry is R20 per adult and R10 for children under 12.

Northern Farm is situated in the Johannesburg area, Gauteng.

It’s a mountain biker’s dream with a large variety of terrains for beginners to competitive riders.

Cyclists can choose their own routes according to experience.

Distances include 8km, 12km, 34km, and 52km.

There is also a coffee shop and a bike wash at the venue. The Diepsloot Development project runs the bike wash.

Entrance is charged per person.

The farm is open on weekends and public holidays from 6.30am until 5.30pm (May 1 to August 31) and from 6am until 6pm (September 1 to April 30).

Van Gaalen, also known as Skeerpoort MTB Trails, is located in the Magalies mountain range, close to Hartebeespoort.

They offer distances up to 120km with a grading of moderate to extreme.

The trails are perfect to prepare you for any event that you might be training for, and are not for novice riders.

Experience river trails with bridges, technical climbs, ups and downs through dongas and kloofs, steep rocky climbs, flat sections on railway line, and sandy jeep tracks.

Visitors need to buy a R40 day license to ride the trails.

Thaba Trails is located in Rietvlei 101-lr, Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province.

On offer is a technical and challenging 30km ride with adrenaline-pumping downhills on single track.

There is also a Yellow route which has a distance of 14km and is not as technical. It is an endurance ride on jeep track.

The office is open on Saturdays and Sundays and routes can be ridden from 6.30am until 5pm every day in the week.

There is an annual membership option available for R450. For entrance fee riders can phone the office.