Kalkfontein Dam Nature Reserve

About Kalkfontein Dam Nature Reserve

The attractive Kalkfontein Dam nature reserve lies in amongst a series of koppies and boasts spectacular sunsets.

Did you know? The dam at Kalkfontein supports more than 10 000, and occasionally more than 18 000 individual birds.

Lying just south east of Koffiefontein in the south western Free State, Kalkfontein Dam Nature Reserve on the Riet River is not usually visited en route to anywhere - it is some way from the N1 and, unless you are going to Petrusburg from Fauresmith, you would probably never stumble across the pretty nature reserve at all.

But locals definitely know about Kalkfontein Dam and its allure of yellowfish, both the small and large mouth varieties that are a rare find in most fishing dams and are a major reason anglers head here, particularly over weekends.

Other than yellowfish, anglers also find Orange River mudfish, barbel and carp and the water attracts a series of terns, greater and lesser flamingos, soprey and the South African shelduck.

That the land around the dam is too small to support much wildlife, gives you an indication of the size of the dam, which supports camping, fishing and picnics.

Nearby Koffiefontein is definitely worth a detour. In the midst of little farming town is a fountain at which transport riders during the last century used to stop to share a cup of coffee - hence the name of the town. It happened that one of these riders picked up a diamond close to said fountain that set off a massive diamond rush to the town and by 1882 Koffiefontein was booming.

Whilst booming is too strong an adjective for the town today, it is nevertheless worth visiting for its history.