Dog-friendly hikes in South Africa: where you can hike with your dog

Finding a hike you can do with your dog in South Africa is harder than it should be. National parks and most provincial reserves do not allow dogs, and the rules on private land vary. Below are trails where dogs are welcome, grouped by region, with the rules you need to know. Bundu currently lists 31 dog-friendly trails in South Africa; use the Dog friendly filter to see them all.

Rules change, and some venues limit dogs on busy days. Check with the venue before you go, especially for permits and off-leash times.

Johannesburg

• Braamfontein Spruit Trail: a riverside ramble from the Sandton Field & Study Centre towards Delta Park. One of the few places in Joburg where dogs can run off lead; walkers and cyclists have separate paths.
• Delta Park (Randburg): free, with routes from about 2.7 km to 8.7 km around dams and grassland. Keep your dog under control.
• Modderfontein Reserve: a large urban reserve with dams, grassland and wetlands. Dogs on a leash to protect the wildlife.
• The Wilds Nature Reserve (Houghton): a small, free indigenous garden on a ridge. Dogs on a leash.
• Emmarentia Dam & Joburg Botanical Garden: an easy loop around the dam and rose gardens, and one of the busiest dog walks in the city.

Pretoria and the Magaliesberg

• Hedianga Farm (Olympus AH): built for dog owners, with 5, 10 and 15 km loops and set off-lead times. Off-lead hours are weekdays 09:00–12:00 and after 16:00, Saturdays after 16:00, and Sundays 09:00–12:00 and after 16:00.
• Faerie Glen Nature Reserve: river, koppie and three trails from 2.3 km to 4.2 km. Buy the reserve's annual dog permit before you go.
• Sable Ranch Hiking Trails (Magaliesburg): one of the few Magaliesberg hiking venues that allows dogs, on a lead. Start early in summer; it gets hot.
• Vergenoeg Hiking Trail (Madibeng, North West): dogs welcome for a small pet fee.

Cape Town

Dogs are allowed in designated dog-walking areas of Table Mountain National Park. Everyone walking a dog needs a SANParks dog-walking permit (a Wild Card does not cover it), and dogs must stay under control. Dogs are not allowed in Kirstenbosch. Keep dogs leashed and away from baboons on the Peninsula.

• Silvermine Nature Reserve: fynbos trails around Silvermine Dam with views over False Bay, and a favourite for a post-hike swim.
• Tokai Forest: shaded pine and arboretum paths at the foot of the Constantiaberg. Lower Tokai is a designated dog-walking area.
• Newlands Forest: shady paths and streams on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.
• Constantia Nek: the lower slopes reached from Constantia Nek are a designated dog-walking area.

Durban and KwaZulu-Natal

• Giba Gorge (Pinetown): more than 45 km of trails with waterfalls. Dogs on a leash.
• Paradise Valley Nature Reserve (Pinetown): forest and river walks along the Umbilo River. Dogs on a leash.
• Glenholme Nature Reserve (Kloof): a small reserve with grassland and swamp forest. Dogs on a leash.
• Zinkwazi Forest Walk: a 4.5 km coastal forest walk on the North Coast.

Mpumalanga

• Kranskloof Hiking Trail (near Carolina): challenging gorge hikes; dogs staying at the shared basecamp should be well socialised.
• Tegwaan Country Getaway Hiking Trails: short loops with a separate fee for dogs.

Tips for hiking with your dog

• Heat: start early in summer. Rock and gravel get hot enough to burn paws, and many Highveld trails have little shade.
• Water: carry enough for your dog. Do not rely on streams, and keep dogs out of water where the venue asks you to.
• Ticks: check your dog after every hike, especially in long grass.
• Wildlife: keep dogs leashed around game, livestock and baboons.
• Pick up after your dog and take the bag with you.
• Fitness: build up distance gradually, and skip routes with ladders, chains or scrambles.