The Cederberg Mountains are best-known for the classic hikes of the central Cederberg. But there are loads of great walks in the northern Cederberg as well. Especially in the Pakhuis area close to Clanwilliam. A unique characteristic of the northern Cederberg is that you’ll rarely see another walker on a walking trail… for hours, if at all. This is raw wilderness at its best.
Given that it is a mountainous area, some of the walks in the northern Cederberg involve some steep sections. As it is wilder, they can be over-grown in parts, so wear long trousers if you don’t like getting the odd scratch on your legs. There are also a number of flatter walks on offer. Below I outline some favourites of mine.
Walks in the northern Cederberg – High temperatures in summer
It is extremely hot in the Cederberg in high summer. And we don’t recommend that you plan to do major walking during the months of December to February. However, if you do walk in summer, you should start as early as possible i.e. 6:30 am or 7 am so that you return from your walk before the main heat of the day. You will need to take plenty of water with you, as well as sunblock, a wide brimmed hat and a light weight long sleeved shirt to cover up if necessary.
Winter months can be very cold in the early mornings but with pleasant daytime temperatures, it is ideal for walking throughout the day unless it is raining. (The Cederberg is in the winter rainfall area, though we get only a third of the rainfall of Cape Town).
Permits for the Cederberg Wilderness Reserve:
You need to buy a day permit to walk in the Cederberg Wilderness. You can buy the necessary permits from Klein Kliphuis Cape Nature Office. More info on Cape Nature here
Ramskop Nature Reserve – 45 to 60 mins
There is a lovely walking trail through the Ramskop Nature Reserve. It starts in the flowering area of the reserve and then heads around the small hill with beautiful views of the Clanwilliam Dam. An easy trail.
Boskloof Valley – as far as you like, easy undulating
This is not actually a trail but a very quiet country road through beautiful scenery. We recommend that you drive part of the way and then simply walk along the road and back to your car. The Boskloof road has the Krakadouw mountains on one side and a beautiful valley and farmland on the other.
Heuningvlei Jeep Track – as far as you like
This is probably one of best known walks in the northern Cederberg. At the very top of the Pakhuis Pass, there is a small turnoff to the right. Turn off here and park your car in the car park. Take the trail from here through the gate and continue straight on. This is a well-marked trail through classic Cedarberg terrain with lovely views down to the Karoo on your left. You can walk as far as you want and then turn back. (Eventually you would come to the small community of Heuningvlei after about 12km). A Cederberg Wilderness Permit is needed.
Sevilla Rock Art Trail
The Sevilla Rock Art Trail is on Travellers Rest farm, about 30 minutes drive from Clanwilliam over the Pakhuis Pass. (The trail can be easily combined with a visit to Wupperthal or to the Biedouw Valley during the flower season.) This is probably the most famous of the walks in the northern Cederberg because of the stunning series of rock art paintings.
The trail consists of 9 different rock art sites and will take about 2½ hours to complete. As it is a linear trail you can turn back at any time if you are tired but, because of this, the first four sites are less impressive than the following five as they have been visited by many more people over the years. If you are short on time, we would recommend walking past the first four sites to get to at least sites 5 to 7 and then visit the first 4 sites on the way back. (Sites 8 & 9 are also very good but a little further on).
The walk is not difficult but does involve slightly uneven terrain so comfortable shoes are recommended. You will need to purchase a permit at the Traveller’s Rest Restaurant. You may also want to purchase the very useful informative booklet on these paintings from the Clanwilliam Tourism Office in Clanwilliam beforehand.
Short Kliphuis Circular walk (1.5 to 2 hours)
Note: Last section is currently quite over-grown
This is a circular walk from the top of Pakhuis Pass (Park in the car park – see above). First take the Heuningvlei Jeep track as above. After approx 1km, you will see a small cairn and a single file track to the right. (Watch out for this as it’s easy to miss if you are chatting away. If you find yourself steadily climbing on the main track, then you have gone too far!) Take this track as it crosses the vlei and then goes gently uphill (after another 1km) on to a second plateau area. Look out for a not very clear four way intersection in the trail. Turn right at the intersection and start to descend.
It is rocky terrain here, but the views are stunning. Note that part of the track has become a little overgrown. Please be on the lookout for the stone cairns to guide you. You descend until you come close to the road. You will come to a T juncton in the path. Turn RIGHT here and follow the path back up to the car park. This last section has been cleared recently. There is one open section where you walk straight across and pick up the trail on the other side.
Follow the small cairns to the river/stream. In the winter months you may need to take off your shoes to wade through the stream, but in summer it will be dry. Allow 3 hours for this walk at a leisurely pace. Cederberg Wilderness Permit required.
Interested in a Walking Holiday in South Africa?
Not sure where to start? Tell us what you have in mind and we'll create a tailor-made itinerary for you
Contact Us Now
Note: Linear variation to end at Kliphuis (1.5-2 hours, need two cars)
This is a linear version of the above walk. So ideally you need two cars. (Or someone who is prepared to walk the additional 3km uphill to retrieve your car from Pakhuis Pass!)
Follow the walk as detailed above. However as you descend the rocky and scenic kloof at the end, you stay on the path. You descend until you come to the river/stream. In the winter months you may need to take off your shoes to wade through the stream, but in summer it will be dry. Walk along the other side of the stream to Kliphuis campsite where you will have left one vehicle. Alternatively walk up the road to the summit again to retrieve your parked car. Allow 2 hours for this walk at a leisurely pace. Cederberg Wilderness Permit required.
Longer Kliphuis Circular walk (3-4 hours)
OK, let me own up. This is one of my favourite walks in the northern Cederberg. Just before the Pakhuis pass, park your car outside the Kliphuis campsite. The walk is a 3 to 4 hour circular walk through pristine Cederberg fynbos. It is relatively gentle (as Cedarberg walks go!). The trail begins behind the old Forestry House and snakes up a steep kloof for approximately 30 minutes. This is steep but it’s the only bit of steep walking.
When you reach the top of the kloof, you come out onto a wide, broad plateau with views of Kliphuis immediately on the right, the peaks of Faith, Hope and Charity on your far right hand side, and Ribbokberg immediately in front of you. The path veers around to the left. Most of the walk continues on this plateau with gradual ups and downs. The path is clearly marked in most places and there are stone cairns where the trail is over the open rock.
Later in the walk, you descend next to a river (Kliphuisrivier). Although usually dry in summer, it has lovely waterfalls in winter. At this point, there’s a very pretty view of Lion’s Head, an escarpment of small peaks looking like lions gazing over the plains. Shortly after this the path turns to the left and you round the hill to return to the original valley. After the descent there is a slow gentle uphill section (tiring at this stage in the walk) back to the car park at Kliphuis. This section can be a bit boggy in winter and also quite over-grown. So I recommend long trousers, even in summer. Cederberg Wilderness Permit needed.
Pakhuis to Heuningvlei
This is not really a full day walk but it does take most of the day as you will need to return by vehicle. At the top of the Pakhuis Pass, there is a small turnoff to the right. Park your car in the small car park. Take the trail from here through the gate and continue straight on. You walk to the small community of Heuningvlei. At Heuningvlei, you can either return the way you came (24km in total). Or arrange for one of your party to collect you by car. Or you can opt to book a lunch and donkey cart ride back to the Pakhuis Pass. Note: There is no shop at Heuningvlei so you will need to take provisions with you. Cederberg Wilderness Permit required.
Suitable Cederberg Tours:
Walks in the northern Cederberg – Related Articles & Links
Cederberg Ridge Wilderness Lodge – great place to stay for people who like to walk with guided trails on their farm and in the Cederberg Wilderness.
Walks in the central Cederberg Wilderness Reserve – our more famous sister article.
Cederberg Wilderness Reserve – Cape Nature’s page on the Cederberg Wilderness Reserve.
Behind the scenes of the Cederberg Heritage Route
Klein Krakadouw Trail – one of the CHR trails.
This “Walks in the northern Cederberg” article was written by Cedarberg Africa
Cedarberg Africa is a specialist tour operator for Southern and East Africa. We focus on upmarket tailormade safaris for discerning and busy people. We make our money on the difference between our trade rates and the rates that are available to you. So that means that effectively all our years of experience and expertise comes free of charge…
Contact us if you’d like a tailormade safari quote for a trip to the Cederberg. (Note: we don’t book camping sites or self-catering, only hotels and guesthouses)
