By Vicky · Published Dec. 17th, 2025
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On this great hike in Kumbagana Game Reserve, you’ll see wildlife, cool rock formations, an impressive gorge and classic Magaliesberg scenery.
Kumbagana Game Reserve Hike Map
Location
This hiking trail starts from the main lodge, in the centre of Kumbagana Game Reserve. This is also where the wooden cabins and swimming pools are. It’s 1hr20 from Pretoria, and 2hrs from Johannesburg.
Tips
- The best way to do this hike is to stay at Kumbagana Game Reserve, where there are several lovely wooden cabins.
- For day visitors, the hiking trail costs R130/50 per adult/child.
- If 12 km sounds too long, you can easily make it 4.5 km by only hiking the first loop.
- There is another hiking route which shares some of the way with this hike, but goes down into the gorge via a long, steep ladder. This hike is more technically difficult than the one described here. Enquire at the reception for more details.
- Although the Kumbagana Game Reserve Hike isn’t on the map, an offline hiking App such as Organic Maps is still useful so you don’t get completely lost.
- For other hikes in the Magaliesberg, check out the nearby Milorho Lodge Hiking Trail or the easy Peglarae Trail in Kgaswane Nature Reserve. Find even more hikes in our South Africa Hiking Guide.
Kumbagana Game Reserve Hiking Route
Leave the lodge through the cabins, towards the waterhole where there are often antelope grazing. Head left and take the first track on the right, just past the small shelter. After a large wiggle, the track heads left and towards a cutline along a fence.
At the fence, turn left. In roughly 300 metres there’s a gate to your right, with the hiking hut behind it. Walk through and past the hiking hut, heading left around the back of the buildings and following the hiking signs.
The path leads you through some lovely countryside and eventually down into a mini gorge. Keep your eyes peeled for the signs here, as they can be hard to spot. You walk up the gorge for a very short distance before turning right to head on up and out of the mini gorge again.
Just as you leave the mini gorge, you’ll see a small path off to your right – you will take this on the return walk. For now, continue onwards, with the main gorge a some distance to your right. After walking upwards for 750 metres, the path bends right and down into the gorge itself.
Walking to the Highpoint
The gorge isn’t as steep or deep as it is further downstream, so it’s not too much of a challenge walking down or up the other side again. But make sure to keep an eye out for the hiking signs!
Once up on the other side, the path leads right. You’ll soon reach a junction. Turn left here – you’ll return here later along the other path. This section of fairly easy walking takes you to the edge of the Magaliesberg mountains, with a steep drop down the other side. From the top, you get a great view over the plains far below. If you’re lucky, you might see some mountain zebra up here.
Hiking Back Down
The hiking route now heads back down, initially following a little kloof. The path then heads over a slightly rocky area before reaching the edge of the large gorge/kloof. There are some really great views from here.
After reaching the gorge, the path continues right, up along the edge. You then reach the small junction you were at earlier, and cross the gorge in the same place. After walking further along the same path, you come to another small junction just before the small gorge.
Turn left here to walk a different route back to the hiking hut. Once crossing back over the fence by the hut, continue along the cutline back to Kumbagana Game Reserve Lodge. This is the end of the hike.
Staying at Kumbagana Game Reserve
We stayed in one of the lovely wooden log cabins at Kumbagana Game Reserve. The 10 cabins all have an equipped kitchen and prices start at R650 per night in the low season, increasing to R1,375 in high season. There were great views from the deck, with antelope grazing nearby, and the swimming pool was also lovely.
Recommended Guidebook
For other hikes in the Magaliesberg, check out the nearby Milorho Lodge Hiking Trail or the easy Peglarae Trail in Kgaswane Nature Reserve. Find even more hikes in our South Africa Hiking Guide.
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