Johannesburg Hiking & Trekking Guide 2026

Top trails

Routes worth lacing up your boots for.

1. 1

   Melville Koppies Guided Walk

   4 km guided walk or 10 km guided hike3 hours (walk); 4-5 hours (hike)easyApprox. 100-150 m gain

   Guided walks through a ridge reserve with Iron Age smelting sites and highveld flora, run by a volunteer society.

2. 2

   Delta Park and Braamfontein Spruit Trail

   5-8 km loop (extends to Emmarentia via the Braamfontein Spruit)1.5-2.5 hourseasyUnder 60 m gain

   A 108-hectare park of grassland, woodland, three dams and a sensory trail, with the city's oldest bird sanctuary and a path along the Braamfontein Spruit.

3. 3

   Emmarentia Dam and Johannesburg Botanical Garden Loop

   3.5-4 km loop1-1.5 hourseasyUnder 30 m gain

   A flat, popular loop around the 7.5-hectare dam past the rose garden, herb garden and picnic lawns.

4. 4

   Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden Waterfall Trail

   4 km loop1.5-2 hourseasyApprox. 120 m gain

   A trail past the 70 m Witpoortjie waterfall beneath cliffs where a pair of Verreaux's eagles breed.

5. 5

   Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Trails

   3-9 km, several marked loops1-3.5 hourseasyApprox. 80-200 m gain

   A reserve of highveld grassland and rocky ridges with resident zebra, blesbok and wildebeest, and a network of marked trails.

6. 6

   Kloofendal Nature Reserve Trails

   2-6 km, several walking routes1-2.5 hourseasyApprox. 60-150 m gain

   A 128-hectare fenced reserve with a stone amphitheatre, a bird hide on the dam, and grassland trails beneath a quartzite ridge.

7. 7

   Modderfontein Reserve Trails

   2-11 km; eight marked trails (five of 2-4 km, plus 5 km and 11 km routes)45 minutes-3.5 hourseasyApprox. 40-200 m gain

   A fenced private reserve of wetland, grassland and forest patches, with an 11 km route popular with trail runners.

8. 8

   Hennops Hiking Trail (Magaliesberg foothills)

   2 km (Dassie), 5 km (Zebra) or 10 km (Krokodilberg) loops1-5 hoursmoderateApprox. 50-450 m gain

   Three graded loops in the Magaliesberg foothills reached by a suspension bridge, the longest a full half-day hike.

Trail difficulty levels

Pick a route that matches your fitness and experience.

When to hike

Seasonal conditions in Johannesburg.

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Local hazards

What to watch out for on the trail.