Garden Route Unearthed

Spectacular views on the Storm’s River Suspension Bridge hike.

Storm’s River is at the eastern most point of the Garden Route. It is part of the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park and is located in the Eastern Cape.

In terms of places to stay when visiting the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park, you can choose between the small village of Stormsrivier, or the Storm’s River Mouth Restcamp, which is actually inside the Garden Route National Park and is run by SANPARKS.

Bryan and I decided to make a mini break of our visit to this area, so we booked to stay in one of the wooden chalets inside the park for three nights.

There are so many different hiking trails to explore, as well as different activities to enjoy, such as guided kayaking tours, river tubing and snorkelling, that we felt less time would be too short for us, however, it is possible to visit the National Park as a day visitor only.

There are a number of chalets (of varying sizes), available to rent by the mouth of Storm’s River, inside the Garden Route National Park, as well as a number of different campsites. All of these can be booked online via the SANPARKS website.

If you only have enough time for a day visit, then it is worth hiking the Storm’s river Suspension Bridge hike.

This is a short and easy trail of about 2.5kms (although it is possible to extend the walk to the top of the cliff, making it a 3.4km hike).

The hiking trail provides absolutely spectacular views and scenery and if you are lucky, you may also see some rock dassies going about their daily business.

In peak season and holidays, this particular hiking trail can be very busy, so if you are staying in the National Park, I would recommend you go earlier in the day to avoid the busiest times.

The majority of the hike is a boardwalk, as well as sections including many steps and of course the suspension bridges too. There are in fact 3 suspension bridges.

The route takes you through the coastal forest and over some rocky points, which give amazing scenes of the Storm’s River mouth. Some parts of the trail are steep, but these are not long sections and there is no need to rush, so why not stop for a breather and take your time to really absorb the views. They are well worth it.

As mentioned earlier, once you have crossed the main suspension bridge over the Storm’s River, there is a very steep pathway to the cliff top. Bryan and I have not walked this extra section, but I can imagine the view from the top will be breathtaking.

If you decide to add on this steep section, please take care with your footing, and make sure you have plenty of water and make regular stops on the way up.

The hike is a return trail, so you will follow the route there and back. It takes about one and a half hours to complete.

Once back at the Storm’s River RestCamp, there is a restaurant available, so if you are feeling peckish, or need a refreshing drink after the hike, you can sit and listen to the waves breaking on the shoreline whilst soaking up the atmosphere of this incredible area.

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