Mountain biking stays in South Africa
20+ results in South Africa
South Africa builds trails the way other countries build golf courses. Stellenbosch alone has hundreds of kilometres of purpose-built singletrack through Jonkershoek and the vineyards, and the same is true of Paarl, Grabouw, Tokai on the Peninsula and the Garden Route forests around Knysna and Harkerville. The Cape Epic runs through this country every March, and the trail networks the race helped fund are open to anyone with a day permit.
Inland the riding changes character. The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and the Karkloof are rolling grassland and plantation with long flowing descents, and the Drakensberg foothills add altitude and big-sky views. The Free State around Clarens has sandstone singletrack. Mpumalanga, around Sabie and Graskop, has forest trails and waterfalls at the end of them. Limpopo and the Lowveld ride through bushveld, sometimes inside reserves where the trail crosses game.
Ride the Cape from October to April for dry trails and long light, and the Midlands and the Berg in autumn and spring when the afternoon storms have stopped. Most stays on this page are near a trail network with day permits, and hosts will tell you where to buy one, where to wash the bike and which trail is closed for maintenance. Pair the riding with wine farms in the Cape, trout country in the Midlands or a game drive in the Lowveld.
- When is the best time for mountain biking in South Africa?
- The Western Cape rides best from October to April, with dry trails and long evenings; winter brings rain and muddy singletrack. The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, the Drakensberg and the Highveld are better in autumn and spring, outside the summer thunderstorm season. Lowveld and bushveld trails are pleasant in the dry winter months.
- Where are the best mountain biking trails?
- Stellenbosch and Jonkershoek, Paarl, Grabouw and Tokai in the Western Cape; the Knysna and Harkerville forests on the Garden Route; the Karkloof and the Midlands in KwaZulu-Natal; Clarens in the Free State; and the Sabie and Graskop forests in Mpumalanga. Most are managed trail networks with marked routes and day permits.
- Do I need a permit to ride?
- On most managed networks, yes. Day permits are sold at the trailhead, a nearby shop or online, and the money funds trail building and maintenance. Some wine farms and private reserves include trail access for guests. Ask your host, as they usually know the current arrangement and any closures.
- Can I combine mountain biking with wildlife or wine?
- Easily. Many Winelands trail networks run through working wine farms with tasting rooms at the end, and several Lowveld and Waterberg reserves offer guided rides among plains game. Our Drakensberg mountain biking route links the Midlands trails with the Berg foothills over a few days.