GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - An additional four hiking trails in the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park have recently received Green Flag accreditation.
This brings the number of accredited hiking trails to 18 in the Garden Route National Park. Twelve are in the Tsitsikamma section of the park, two in the Knysna sections and the recent four in the Wilderness section – the Half-Collared Kingfisher Trail (9.65km), Dune Mole Rat Trail (8.2km), Woodville Big Tree (2km) and the Circles in the Forest Trail (3.4km).
The Green Flag status system officiated by the Hiking Organisation of Southern Africa ensures hiking trails meet standards in terms of trail outlay, accommodation, facilities and service, as well as the conservation of natural resources.
More and more people are walking trails in Knysna, Wilderness and Tsitsikamma, with a total of 667 people having used the trails in Knysna during the Easter weekend only. The Garden of Eden had the most walkers (266) of the 667, the King Edward Big Tree (140), Kranshoek (132), Diepwalle (70) and Perdekop (59).
About 482 people walked the Half-Collared Kingfisher in Wilderness during the Easter Weekend compared to 356 last Easter.
The steady increase in the number of people walking in the national park can be attributed to the Garden Route Walking Festival over the same period, when numerous SANParks trails were among the 52 hiking trails to experience in the region. People are also walking trails in groups and including hiking as one of numerous activities to do in the park.
Post-fire progress
Harkerville Trail: The trail was rerouted in December 2017 pending the recovery of the burnt area, however the coastal portion of the trail is still closed. An alternative scenic route was opened along the coastal ridge. Bookings for the trail are open.
Kranshoek Trail: About 90% of the route is complete but it is still closed as rebuilding and rehabilitation of the route is under way.
Kranshoek Viewpoint: Currently still closed and not accessible to visitors as yet until management and scientists have finalised urgent deliverables pertaining to the area.
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