Spioenkop Game Reserve

Spioenkop Dam Nature Reserve

Lying virtually at the foot of the rugged Spioenkop Mountain, the dam was the site of one of the most bloody battles to ensue during the Anglo-Boer War in an attempt to lift the Siege of Ladysmith, Spioenkop Dam Nature Reserve is 4 400 hectares of thorn savannah that contrast magnificently with the restful waters of the dam.

The Spioenkop Dam Nature Reserve is literally 35 kilometres from Ladysmith and 14 kilometres from Winterton, making it a popular weekend water sport destination, whilst also offering a serene game reserve environment - white rhino, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and a wide variety of antelope grace these plains, and the bird life is prolific. Picnic sites litter the shore around the dam and the Discovery Trail, which splits into a 3 kilometre and 6 kilometre loop, winds around the dam’s southern shore in an area free of dangerous game to provide wonderful walking opportunities.

The battlefield site can be reached by road, and the 360 degree views from the summit of Spioenkop Mountain are breathtaking - lush green plains, the beckoning peaks of the Drakensberg, which extend from Giant’s Castle to the Sentinal in Royal Natal National Park.