Explore the Kloofendal Reserve

About Explore the Kloofendal Reserve

The 110 hectare Kloofendal nature reserve lies to the west of Johannesburg city centre in the suburb of Kloofendal, halfway between the malls of Clearwater and Westgate. It's a beautiful reserve with some incredible craggy quartzite outcrops and typical highveld vegetation.

Interestingly, the reserve lies on the site of the very first gold mine of 1884, opened before the reef was discovered, and the old shafts have been restored and are now national monuments. This does nothing to detract from the beauty of the place, where walking trails are freely available to all (you might want to check that it's open, during winter, as it sometimes closes when fires are a hazard). No surprise then that the park is a cultural heritage spot.

There is a small dam at which there is a bird hide, and the place is wonderful for Sunday afternoon strolls. Walks can be self-guided or you can join one of the trails lead by a qualified field guide – contact Friends of Kloofendal to do so as they look after the reserve. They also organise talks and other activities. There are picnic areas and a stone amphitheatre is for hire for events.

Whilst on a walk expect to see small mammals like duikers, dassies, mongoose, hedgehogs, the odd jackal, or mole rat. And if you're a real environmental enthusiast you can join the one-year field guide/environmentalist course run by the Kloofendal Nature Reserve.