Now discover the most beautiful Magaliesburg waterfall ever
Hike and explore this cascading rocky waterfall, its rock ledges, formations and crystal clear plunge pools below! Gather your friends, a picnic, and a laid back attitude to truly appreciate this hidden gem, considered one of the best Magaliesberg hikes out there!
With a great group of friends we experienced the Castle Gorge hike located in the Magaliesburg Mountain Range. Personally, it had been on my bucket list for years before I made it a reality. And consequently when it finally became a reality, it far surpassed any of my expectations.
The hillsides of Magaliesberg are big, wild, sometimes remote – and still being discovered!
How to plan your ideal Castle Gorge trip:
- Where is Castle Gorge
- What to expect
- What you can see
- What to take
- How to book
.
Where is Castle Gorge:
It is approximately a one and a half hour drive from Joburg / Pretoria (depending on where you are traveling from) situated in the foothills of the Magaliesburg Mountains. But without a doubt it is definitely worth the effort of a day trip.
What to expect:
Initially, we found the hike relatively strenuous! As a matter of fact a steep incline will get you started on arrival up the mountain range. You can expect the cardio blast!
Once you summit the Range pay careful attention to the map as you meander towards the rock-pools. If you miss the markings, you may miss the rock-pools.
In addition to reach the waterfall be prepared to do some boulder climbing and jumping. Before you reach the flagship turquoise “pond” and waterfall you will be rewarded with the most fascinating rock formations.
We generally leave Joburg very early and make it to the waterfall by 10am. We pack a glorious picnic, consisting all our favorite treats, some towels and laze around until approximately 3pm before meandering back.
I say with conviction, “Castle Gorge is possibly on of the post picturesque sites close to the concrete jungle of Johannesburg.”
What to see:
The Magaliesberg Mountain Range is within a biosphere reserve, a UNESCO heritage site and characterised by unique geology, topography, habitats and heritage. According to UNESCO, the rocks of the Magaliesberg bear the ripples of tides which lapped the shore more than 2 000 million years ago
It lies at the interface of two great African biomes – the central grassland plateaux and the sub-Saharan savannah – with remnants of a third, Afro-montane forest.
It is a nature lovers haven, filled with astonishing wildlife, and flora. With regards to the fauna if you maintain a careful eye you may spot porcupine, vervet monkeys, different species antelope and mongoose. If you stay the night you may be treated to a sighting of bush-babies.
Birding is also rich within the area and you can expect anything from storks to starlings, robins, cuckoos, barbets, owls and Verreaux’s eagles!
What to take:
- Plenty of water (at least 3 liters) – especially in the summer months it can easily reach mid 30s Celsius.
- Picnic – sandwiches or pasta salad, boiled eggs, nuts, cold veggies and fruit (a great idea is to freeze grapes the night before and by snack time the perfectly chilled), crisps, gronola, energy bars and drinks, sweets of your choice. I usually love while walking to have a sucker
- Swimwear, towel, suntan lotion, swimming pool floaters (you can deflate them for easy packing).
- Hat
- Sunglasses – cheap pair (we have had so many people lose expensive glasses in the pools)
- Cameras
- Tissues
- First aid market
How to book:
PLEASE NOTE A PERMIT IS REQUIRED. YOU CANNOT JUST ARRIVE! In fact you require a code to get in the gate. If you do not book ahead you will not gain entry.
Paid-up MCSA members do not need permits. All non-members need to apply for permits to the Johannesburg Hiking Club (JHC). JHC will also supply directions and gate codes. Allow three days before your weekend outing for EFT payments to clear and emails to arrive. – Contact [email protected]
What to pack
Browse our 1-stop-vacation-lifestyle-shop and travel with confidence!
8 Comments
Puleng
September 10, 2019 at 10:35 amGreat post. Will be heading to Castle Gorge soon. Can’t wait. Is it easy to find the waterfalls?
OTGtab
September 10, 2019 at 3:08 pmGreetings, you are going to LOVE it! It can be tricky on the first visit to find the waterfall. But ask people you see everyone is helpful. Tip: Once you are at the top of the mountain, approximately 2kms on keep watching for a little sign and footpath to your right. Once you take that follow the path past first set of rock pools to the boulders. Make your way down. But as I say, ask every one is friendly : ) You can also email me on [email protected]
Masingita makhubela
March 23, 2020 at 2:40 amI and my partner would like to visit the place on weekend how much and how do you operate
waterfallmagazine.com
June 11, 2020 at 4:29 pmhttps://waterfallmagazine.com
Hi there, I discovered your site by the use of Google even as looking for a similar matter, your web site came up, it
looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google
bookmarks.
Hello there, just turned into alert to your blog via Google, and
found that it is really informative. I’m gonna
be careful for brussels. I’ll appreciate should you
proceed this in future. Numerous folks shall be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!
we just did hat official
November 16, 2020 at 11:57 amHey there are using WordPress for your blog platform?
I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you require any html coding knowledge to make
your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
OTGtab
November 17, 2020 at 9:34 amYes we use wordpress. If you get a good website builder you do not need to know any coding. Its all fairly simple.
출장안마
February 10, 2021 at 7:23 amI blog frequently and I genuinely appreciate your content. The article has really peaked my interest. I will take a note of your site and keep checking for new details about once a week. I opted in for your Feed as well.
천안출장안마
February 20, 2021 at 2:32 amEveryone loves it whenever people come together and share ideas. Great website, keep it up!