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This hike around Silvermine Dam Amphitheatre is in a lovely part of Table Mountain and has splendid views all around of mountains and oceans. The Amphitheatre hike is one of the most popular in the area.
Location
Silvermine Dam is on the southern side of Table Mountain, about 40 minutes drive from the centre of Cape Town. The entrance road is off the Ou Kaapse Weg / M64. There is a car park (often with a car guard) just by the dam where this hike starts. If you don’t have a car, check out the options for car hire* from Cape Town.
Silvermine Hike Route Map
Tips for Silvermine Hike
- To enter Silvermine Dam area of Table Mountain National Park you have to pass an entrance gate.
- Opening hours: Oct-Mar 07h00 to 19h00, Apr-Sep 08h00 to 18h00
- Entrance fee: Free for WildCard holders, R35/15 for South Africans, R140/70 for foreigners (adults/children)
- On warm sunny days, swimming in the dam is a delightful way to cool off post-hike
- Take a sunhat, sunscreen and water in sunny weather
- The path is fairly easy, well signed and with little climb, so suitable for most people.
- We did this hike on a Day Trip around Table Mountain with two hikes.
We started hiking from the car park at Silvermine Dam – the one just next to the reservoir. A signboard here displays various hikes. We did the amphitheatre hike anticlockwise but extended it slightly to include Noordhoek Peak. This was definitely worth it as it was only a short distance further and had great views down over Hout Bay.
From the car park, you immediately start heading gently upwards towards the ridge, from which there are views over Silvermine Reservoir and the Amphitheatre that is this hike. You can also see False Bay and Muizenburg, over to Constantia and north all the way to Table Mountain and Devils Peak.
Continuing along the ridge, you have to be careful to keep going in an anticlockwise circle – don’t miss the turnoff and end up hiking to Table Mountain. When you reach the track you can take a mini shortcut to miss out a small loop in the track, then continue upwards on the track itself.
Noordhoek Peak
Here we took the short extension to head up Noordhoek Peak, with fantastic views in every direction.
After the peak, the trail continues back towards the mountains. We headed back to the amphitheatre path along the ridgeline, with great views down the peninsular.
The path continues downwards and then meets a larger track. This leads down from the amphitheatre to Silvermine Dam and the car park. If it’s nice weather, swimming in the reservoir is a great way to cool off. Or have a picnic and celebrate completing your hike.
If you enjoy this hike, try walking up Chapman’s Peak nearby, or find more hikes in South Africa?
FAQS: Silvermine Hike
To enter Silvermine it’s free with a Wildcard, or R35/15 per adult/child for South Africans and R140/70 per adult/child for foreigners.
Dogs are allowed in certain areas of Silvermine, though you must have a My Activity Permit.
It’s called Silvermine because in the 1960s people suddenly thought there might be silver in the area. Mining shafts were dug, but nobody found anything. A reservoir was built, but the name Silvermine remained.
It is safe to swim in Silvermine Reservoir and it’s quite popular, especially on weekends in summer. However, there is no lifeguard and it’s very deep. Don’t enter the water if you can’t swim, and don’t let children swim unaccompanied.
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