Free State
Free State
Free State hiking is concentrated in the eastern highlands, where the Maluti foothills, the Rooiberge and the Golden Gate sandstone country meet the Lesotho border. Trails range from short circular day walks to multi-day routes through highland grassland and sandstone terrain, with significant altitude change in the east and more open, flat walking further west.
For a regional overview, see Discover Free State. For the reserves where these trails are found, see Free State Reserves.
The Free State's reserves are dominated by its eastern Highland landscape. Golden Gate Highlands National Park is the best-known, protecting the Rooiberge sandstone formations and surrounding grassland. Provincial reserves and private conservancies extend this coverage into the Maluti foothills and along the Gariep Dam shoreline. SA Hikes lists 20 Free State reserves with access, landscape and hiking information for each.
For the hiking trails themselves, see Free State Hikes. For a regional overview, see Discover Free State.
Boskloof Hike
The route to Boskloof (Afrikaans for Bush Gorge) is a short, easy back-and-forth trail starting fro…
Imla Guest Farm
IMLA, a name rooted in the Hebrew meaning "Whom God will replenish," embodies the spirit of renewal…
Cathedral Cave Hike
About the Cathedral Cave Hike
The Cathedral Cave Hike is a guided day walk in Golden Gate Highland…
The Crater Camino
The Crater Camino is a five-day slackpacking walk through the Vredefort Dome, the vast landscape sh…
Echo Ravine Hike
Echo Ravine is one of the most picturesque short routes in Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Sta…
Brandwag Buttress Hike
No visit to Golden Gate would be complete without a hike to the top of Brandwag Buttress (Afrikaans…
Langberg Breakaway and Hiking Trails
Discover the serene beauty and warm hospitality of the Eastern Free State at Langberg Breakaway in…
Lesoba Guest Farm and Hiking Trails
Lesoba Guest Farm offers a range of on-site activities:
Hiking Trails: Explore three scenic trai…
Chain Ladder Pass, Tugela Falls & Beacon Buttress Gully
A circular day hike starting at Sentinal Car Park and up to the Chain Ladder which is one of the ea…
Mosemane Guest Farm and Hiking Trails
Located at the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Eastern Free State, Mosemane Guest Farm is…
Holhoek Hiking Trail
Holhoek is a farm-destination hiking trail near Paul Roux in the Eastern Free State. The route is a…
Mushroom Rock Hike
The trail to Mushroom Rock is the least spectacular in Golden Gate. It should only take 50 minutes…
Mount Perazim Hiking Trail (Cannibal Hiking Trail)
The widely known and well-loved Cannibal Trail has undergone a name change to Mount Perazim Hiking…
Witsieshoek Lodge to Gudu Falls
A 3.6 km hike to the top of Gudu Falls via the “Crack” with an elevation drop of 263m along the way…
Sphinx Hiking Trail, Moolmanshoek
The Sphinx Trail, nestled within the picturesque Moolmanshoek Private Game Reserve in the Eastern F…
Thwane Bush Camp
Situated amidst the breathtaking hills of the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site, Thwane Bush Camp…
Sporekrans Hiking Trail
The Sporekrans hiking trail is another example of a trail that opens up the Kaleidoscope of diversi…
Sediba Hiking Trail
The Sediba Hiking Trail is located near the tranquil village of Memel in the northeastern Free Stat…
Wodehouse Peak Hike
Wodehouse Peak was named after Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse, the Governer of the Cape Coloney i…
Rhebok / Ribbok Hiking Trail
The Ribbok Trail is the flagship trail in Golden Gate. The route, which covers a horizontal distanc…
Holkrans Hike
As the name suggests, Holkrans (Afrikaans for “Hollow Cliff”) is a huge cavern in the vast (~50m hi…
