Skip to main content

Have you tried the Silvermine River Walk?

Most people who know or follow me on Insta, are aware that most of my Sundays (sometimes Saturdays) are spent in Silvermine Nature Reserve, which is part of the Sanparks Table Mountain National Park.

Where is Silvermine Nature Reserve?

If you are travelling on the M3 towards Muizenberg, you turn right at the end of the road to take Ou Kaapse Weg on the way to Noordhoek. As you ascend the incline, the road will take a sharp right and Silvermine Nature Reserve Gate 1 is on the right hand side. If you are somewhat puzzled by my directions, just Google Maps it!

How much does it cost?

There is an entrance fee of R35 per adult and R15 per child. If you have a four-legged, furry friend, they charge R70 for the dog and an accompanying adult. Waleed and I used to pay these fees weekly, until we got a couples' Wildcard (which provides unlimited entries into any of the parks or reserves) and a My Activity Permit for Kygo (this allows him into certain parks, reserves and beaches). For more on the Sanparks Activity Permits click here.

What can you do in Silvermine?

Once you’ve paid, you can make your way along the road to the main parking area. There are a number of hiking trails that you can do including the Elephant’s Eye Trail and the Noordhoek Peak Circuit. There are a myriad other trails that sprout off the major ones and if you are feeling adventurous and have the time, you can go exploring for as long as you like. There is a reservoir, where people tend to train for open water swims (for triathlons) or when it is hot to just cool down. There are braai facilities with picnic spots. The braaing season is limited during the year because of the potential for fires.

What is the Silvermine River Walk like?

Today we completed the Silvermine River Walk. We parked on the road and walked down the gravel road (to your left) just before the bathrooms. You will see a sign that marks the start of the trail. Part of the trail is made up of a wooden boardwalk and then there is some gravel. The majority of the trail is quite exposed to the sun so take a hat and lather on some sunscreen before you head out. We also usually take lots of water, some snacks or breakfast. This trail is moderately easy so you don’t have to be super fit. I walked it with my parents two weeks ago and they are both in their early 60s.

The board says it takes an hour but we took about 45 minutes one way, which included some water breaks for the humans and numerous dips for Kygo to cool down (he is a Rottweiler after all)! We passed a lovely waterfall and part of the trail requires you to climb down some rocks but it is not treacherous. On this hike it was Waleed, myself and Kygo. Preferably you should do it in a group but Silvermine tends to be quite busy on weekends. 

The views are breathtaking


Always time for a treat


Kygo is a total water baby


It's difficult to get us both to smile...




Looks like a tropical oasis

Posing at the waterfall

Waleed and Kygo (besties)

Just sitting pretty


Because you are walking along the river it is quite cool and you can hear the water flowing, which is quite relaxing. There are some lovely shaded areas for breaks. The trail wasn’t very busy but as the days get warmer the Reserve will become more popular.

The foliage (which is mostly fynbos) is green and lush, with lots of purple and yellow flowers. I spotted some pincushion proteas which were at the end of their lifecycle.

When we got to the end of the trail there was a lovely watering hole and Kygo took another dip. There is a private picnic and braai area which you can reserve for events. We also had a bit of a break before making our trek back up the trail. The roundtrip was five kilometers which took us 90 minutes.
Splish splash!

Cooling down...

The private braai area you can reserve for events

It was a lovely walk,despite it being quite windy today, the trail is fairly protected. I absolutely love being outdoors in nature and exploring different trails, catching my breath and seeking solace from an often frenetic week gone by.

Have you been to Silvermine? Which trail is your favourite? I'd appreciate a comment, like or follow.

To follow Kygo's adventures around the Cape, click on the links Facebook and Instagram

Feel free to share this blogpost with your friends.

Stay safe,
Imtithaal

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hiking the Noordhoek Peak Circuit in Silvermine

An easy 7km trail that is kid and dog-friendly My love affair with Silvermine Nature Reserve, part of the Table Mountain National Park, started four years ago when we hiked the Noordhoek Peak Circuit. I absolutely fell in love with the place - so much so that almost every Sunday, come rain or shine, you can find us exploring one of the Reserve’s trails.  Naturally when we got Kygo, our exuberant Rottweiler, we took him along on our hikes. Kygo was built with adventure hard-coded in his DNA. He absolutely loves water, swimming and outdoor adventures, and Silvermine offers all of this.  Kygo and I at the Noordhoek Peak Circuit looking out over Hout Bay About the Noorhoek Peak Circuit The Noordhoek Peak Circuit is a 7km hike that you can comfortably complete in about 2 and a half hours. With an elevation of 754m at the Peak, it offers spectacular views of some of Cape Town’s most amazing beaches. This hike is incredibly beautiful and as you are walking there are so many different aspects

Cecilia Waterfall: A short, intense hike that your water-loving dog will enjoy

One of our absolute favourite hiking spots is Cecilia Forest. It has an array of different trails you can do, depending on your mood and what you’d like to see. One that is a short (5km), steep staircase climb to a beautiful oasis is the Cecilia Waterfall trail. This hidden gem, which takes about two hours to complete, is worth exploring with your pawsome pet and easy to find if you follow the landmarks below as a guide.  From Cecilia Forest parking area (opposite Hohenort Avenue, just off Rhodes Drive), follow the Jeep Track towards the pine forest. At the fork in the road, turn right and continue on this path until you reach a water feature.  It is a small catchment area, caused by a flowing stream that runs down the mountain, where your furry friend can take a dip. This is a welcome reprieve on a hot summer’s day and one of the highlights of the trail is that there’s quite a few spots where your dog can wet his undercarriage and cool down his paws.  When they’ve had enough of a swi

Klaasenbosch is a delightful trail for a walk with your dog

People often ask how I know about so many trails and the truth is some of them are discovered in a serendipitous manner. Klaasenbosch was one of those amazing ‘by chance’ discoveries and has quickly crept up our favourite list.  We were doing the Alphen Trail one day, and we usually start at the bottom of Alphen Drive and walk all the way to the top of the trail. As we came out on the other side at Hohenort Avenue, we saw another trail board across the road and decided to try it. The rest is history... Waleed and Kygo exploring in the early morning light Walking the Klaasenbosch Trail For the Google Maps directions to Klaasenbosch - click here As you start the trail, the verges are the backyards of properties that have stables and depending on the time of day that you walk, we often see people horse-riding. There are no cyclists allowed, which makes it a popular spot for dog walking and trail running. The view of Klaasenbosch A great place to take your dog for a walk It is a short 3km