Trail guests following a footpath through dry Waterberg bushveld, mountains on the horizon.

The Trail · 3 nights / 3 days · ~55 km

A three-day walking trail through the RoiSan Reserve

No scheduled walk on arrival day (Day 1), and you leave straight after the final walk on Day 4. In between are three walking days of roughly 15 to 20 km: a mountain crossing, a high-ridge traverse and a return skirting open grass plains. Each day moves from one safari lodge to the next while your luggage and provisions travel ahead, kept cool and dry. Vehicle transfers can be arranged with your trail guide if any guest wants to shorten their walk on any day.

The walking is graded moderate to challenging, over mountain ascents, rocky kloofs and rugged ravine terrain. A good level of hiking fitness is required.

Before you book

Trail difficulty & fitness

Graded moderate to challenging. Expect mountain ascents, rocky kloofs and rugged ravine terrain over roughly 15 to 20 km a day, so a good level of hiking fitness is essential. Sturdy, worn-in walking shoes are a must.

Day by day

  1. Day1

    Arrival & Briefing

    No walking

    Arrive and register at Temminck's Lodge, the valley basecamp, from 13h00 onwards. Park in the shaded, secure on-site parking; your vehicles stay here for the whole trail. Your two experienced, FGASA qualified trail guides run a full safety and route briefing, then the afternoon is yours at the pool, with the evening around the fire.

  2. Day2

    The Mountain Crossing

    ~15 km

    Temminck's LodgeOukraal

    Set off early for the traverse over Groenkop. A demanding climb, rewarded with 360° views reaching 100 km. The route passes deep kloofs, towering fig trees and striking rock formations before dropping to Oukraal, a quiet bush lodge where your luggage and dinner supplies are already waiting.

    14.82 km1,166–1,516 m
    Groenkop1,266 m1,366 m1,466 m0 km14.82 km
    Elevation profile · 14.8 km · over Groenkop to ~1,516 m
  3. Day3

    The High Ridge Traverse

    ~20 km

    OukraalRustwood

    Climb the high ridges through the deeply-ravined Elandsberg L-Kloof to the lookout point with stunning views over the Marakele range. Drop into the Welgedacht Ravine, cut into the rock by thousands of years of rainstorms, and reach Rustwood, the highest lodge on the trail, with a pool and an evening fire.

    19.65 km1,107–1,415 m
    High ridge1,207 m1,307 m1,407 m0 km19.65 km
    Elevation profile · 19.7 km · up to ~1,414 m on the high ridge
  4. Day4

    The Plains & Departure

    ~18 km

    RustwoodTemminck's Lodge

    Cross the open grass plains where game is frequently seen grazing, follow the upper reaches of the Sand River, and circle the base of Groenkop back to Temminck's Lodge, where the trail concludes. Shower, share a final meal, collect your vehicles and depart.

    18.61 km1,144–1,341 m
    Rustwood1,244 m0 km18.61 km
    Elevation profile · 18.6 km · descending across the plains

The route

The Rooiberg Wander is a circuitous trail that begins and ends at Temminck's Lodge: over iconic Groenkop to Oukraal, up the high ridges of the Elandsberg L-Kloof to Rustwood passing the lookout over the Marakele range, and back skirting the open Welgedacht plains along the Sand River to Temminck's Lodge. The map below is illustrative.

Route map of the Rooiberg WanderA circuitous walking route that begins and ends at Temminck's Lodge. Day 2 climbs 15 km from Temminck's Lodge over Groenkop to Oukraal; Day 3 traverses 20 km from Oukraal along the Elandsberg L-Kloof ridges to Rustwood, passing the Welgedacht lookout over the Marakele range; Day 4 returns 18 km across the Welgedacht plains and along the Sand River to Temminck's Lodge. Illustrative and not drawn to scale.Daskop damGroenkopScenic damEntrance to L-KloofKareedamRiverbed walkTemminck'sLodgeStart & endOukraalNight 2RustwoodNight 3Route map of the Rooiberg WanderA circuitous walking route that begins and ends at Temminck's Lodge. Day 2 climbs 15 km from Temminck's Lodge over Groenkop to Oukraal; Day 3 traverses 20 km from Oukraal along the Elandsberg L-Kloof ridges to Rustwood, passing the Welgedacht lookout over the Marakele range; Day 4 returns 18 km across the Welgedacht plains and along the Sand River to Temminck's Lodge. Illustrative and not drawn to scale.Temminck'sLodgeStart & endOukraalNight 2RustwoodNight 3
  • Day 2 · Temminck's Lodge → Oukraal · 15 km
  • Day 3 · Oukraal → Rustwood · 20 km
  • Day 4 · Rustwood → Temminck's Lodge · 18 km

Day 2

Groenkop summit · Exit of Groenkop climb · Scenic dam

Day 3

Entrance to L-Kloof · Welgedacht lookout · Scenic ravine · Vista picnic

Day 4

Scenic riverbed walk · Scenic viewpoint · Welgedacht plains · Daskop & Daskop dam

Illustrative route, not to scale or GPS-accurate. Daily distances are approximate.
Trail guests walking a rocky path through wooded bushveld on the Rooiberg crossing.

Wildlife & birding

Things You Can See While Walking

You walk through a Big 5 reserve that holds more than 66 mammal species and over 168 recorded birds, from lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo to wide-ranging plains game. Tracking is always on foot, with two experienced, FGASA qualified trail guides.

Big game on foot

The marquee animals you track on foot, always with two experienced, FGASA qualified trail guides.

  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Elephant
  • African buffalo
  • Cheetah
  • Giraffe
  • Hippo

Plains game & antelope

Open plains and mountain slopes hold a wide spread of grazers and browsers.

  • Burchell’s zebra
  • Blue wildebeest
  • Eland
  • Kudu
  • Nyala
  • Bushbuck
  • Waterbuck
  • Impala
  • Red hartebeest
  • Blesbok
  • Gemsbok
  • Mountain reedbuck
  • Klipspringer
  • Steenbok
  • Common duiker
  • Warthog

Predators & smaller carnivores

A full predator guild, from the cats to the night-time hunters.

  • Brown hyaena
  • Spotted hyena
  • Caracal
  • Serval
  • African wild cat
  • Aardwolf
  • Black-backed jackal
  • Side-striped jackal
  • Honey badger (ratel)
  • Genets & mongooses

Special & nocturnal

Patience and good guiding turn up the bushveld’s quieter residents.

  • Aardvark
  • Pangolin
  • Porcupine
  • Lesser bush baby
  • Rock dassie
  • Chacma baboon
  • Vervet monkey
  • Bushpig

Birding highlights

More than 168 bird species have been recorded on the reserve. A few of the showy, sought-after ones:

  • Lilac-breasted Roller
  • African Fish Eagle
  • Secretary Bird
  • Southern Ground Hornbill
  • Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle-Owl
  • Pearl-spotted Owlet
  • Giant & Pygmy Kingfisher
  • Crimson-breasted Shrike
  • Grey Go-away-bird
  • Amethyst & Marico Sunbird
  • Cape Glossy & Violet-backed Starling
  • European, Little & White-fronted Bee-eater

Full bird, mammal and tree species lists are available on request. Sightings are wild and never guaranteed.