Kruger National Park Wilderness Trails

A Walk in South Africa's Largest National Park

Explore Kruger National Park on foot over several unforgettable days of guided walking in the bush. These wilderness trails are popular and should be booked a year in advance. It is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in nature across South Africa’s premier conservation area. Plains Camp and select Klaserie lodges also offer dedicated walking safaris.

Bushman

The Bushman wilderness trail departs from Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp in the southwestern corner of Kruger National Park. It is named for the numerous Bushman rock art sites in the surrounding area, which regularly feature on the trail route. The terrain is primarily broken, with deep valleys and rocky outcrops allowing great sightings and close encounters with big game. The area is frequented by rhino and elephant, resulting in a convenient network of natural game paths. Antelope like kudu, klipspringer, and mountain reedbuck favor the rock-ribbed environment, while the higher altitude invites red-throated wryneck and jackal buzzard.

Mathikithi

Mathikithi is a wilderness trail that departs from Satara Rest Camp in the south-central stretch of Kruger National Park. It is named for a solitary 313 m (more than a thousand feet) sandstone hill some 6 km southwest of the camp, alongside the N'wanetsi waterway. The area features many high-lying rocky outcrops, which provide ideal vantage points for observing game and enjoying refreshments at sunset or sunrise with your trail team. Many elephant and buffalo roam here, ensuring well-trodden game paths for comfortable hiking.

Napi

The Napi wilderness trail traverses the undulating granitic landscape between Skukuza and Pretoriuskop in southern Kruger, departing from the latter. The presence of the Biyamithi and Napi rivers means picturesque meanders and immense riverine trees. Seasonal pans lure black and white rhino to the area, ensuring excellent big-game sightings, while thick-billed cuckoo and red-billed helmetshrike occur in woodland and tamboti thickets. The portentous calls of giant eagle-owl and barred owl often enhance evenings in camp.

Nyalaland

The remote and out-of-the-way Wilderness Trails Camp is situated between Punda Maria Rest Camp and Pafuri. The spectacular Lanner and Levhuvhu gorges along the Levhuvhu River are popular attractions. The camp is hidden in a secluded spot on the Madzaringwe River, with the towering cliffs of the Soutpansberg Mountains forming the backdrop. Punda Maria Rest Camp is the departure point for this trail. The area is one of the best in the country for birding, and localized species such as Verreaux's eagle, Pel's fishing-owl, gray-headed parrot, mottled spinetail, and more can be seen. The spinetails roost inside the giant baobab near camp and may be observed at leisure.

Olifants

The Olifants wilderness trail follows the perennial Olifants and Letaba rivers in the heart of Kruger National Park. The trail departs from Letaba Rest Camp and explores a diverse wilderness area with remote valleys, dramatic gorges, the rolling ebb of the Lebombo Mountains, and flat open plains ideal for unobstructed game viewing. As the rivers tend to form the focal point of the experience, sightings of crocodile and hippo are frequent. The pealing call of the African fish-eagle provides an occasional hypnotic interlude.

Sweni

The Sweni River forms the main feature of the Sweni wilderness trail, which departs from Satara Rest Camp. The river trundles through acacia savanna that draws large herds of plains game, attracting the predators that prey upon them. Most guests on the Sweni trail relish the reverberation of lion roars around the tiny camp at night. The calls of Mozambique nightjar and scops-owl add to this captivating wilderness soundtrack. Should you awaken in the dark, the remote, flat surroundings are ideal for stargazing.

Wolhuter

The oldest of the wilderness trails, Wolhuter lies roughly between Berg-en-Dal, Ship Mountain, and the Afsaal Picnic Site. It is named after the first ranger appointed in the Sabie Game Reserve, Harry Wolhuter, who single-handedly killed a lion with his hunting knife while on horseback patrol. It is a spectacularly scenic wilderness area characterized by high granite outcrops with deep valleys. White and black rhino are frequently encountered in the Wolhuter area, particularly the former. Elephant and buffalo are also regularly seen, as are rare antelope like sable and mountain and common reedbuck.