Camps with Day hikes attached in the Drakensberg

Trail Info
#1

Greetings,

So we just completed our first Berg hike a week or two back - Marble Baths Cave sleep over.
It was fairly horendous. We were under the impression, based on a coment somewhere on this forum, that it would be a great over night trip to take toddlers on, so we presumed that as adults and teenagers it should be fine for our first hike. Lets just say, I think im still sore two weeks later!
We decided to put it down as a terific learning curve. And to that person who said its fine, even for toddlers to do… dude… your toddler is very, very impressive!

So, for our next one to make sure I dont put my kids off hiking for life, I decided it would be better to do a day hike in the Berg and then sleep over at a camp before driving back to Durban the next day.

Any good suguestion of a day hike (12-17km-ish) with a camp site base attached - in the Drakensberg?

Much appreciated.
(PS: Marble baths hike was totally beautiful but just too strenuous with a 18kg pack, and for our first hike)

#2

Do your teens a favour and book the Whale trail (pay to slackpack firewood and “refreshing beverages”) but carry your own packs

It’ll open their eyes to the joy of multi day and if you need to maybe reduce their pack sizes to the porterage.

Also the MCSA has been brilliant for my kids dragging their “are-we-there-yet” arses up Table mountain from 7&9 abs overnighting in a hut then walking down the next day has given them awesome memories which they’ve been keen to engage in more adventurous camping trips - not going to admit how old they were when they did the Nossob eco trail but they were too young to fully appreciate it, but the one night a lion encounter made a huge impression and underlined their thoughts on the safety of Roof top tents

1 Like
#3

Rhino Peak with stop at Pillar Cave? Garden Castle, Southern Berg

1 Like
#4

Hello, Hidden Valley (Garden Castle) would perhaps be a nice day hike. It’s about 15km. My toddler was 4 years when we hiked and he managed the whole hike on his own (I must add that my kid is a pretty amazing little hiker).

1 Like
#5

Injisuthi has camping, and some nice day hikes as well (that are not Marble baths!)

Try going to Wonder Valley or Cataract Valley, or even shorter hikes can be done to something like Poachers stream.

Mahai has a nice camp site, and also has day hikes in the lower foothills of the Drakensberg.

You can also camp at Dragon Peaks and do day hikes at Monks Cowl (Nandis Falls, Blindman’s Corner, etc.)

1 Like
#6

Thanks, Anneri

We did Sleeping Beaty Cave from Garden Castle camp - Kids loved it this time.