Garden Route Unearthed

Gorgeous 9.5km Forest Walk in Harkerville known as the Perdekop Hiking Trail

A couple of weeks ago, Bryan and I decided to go and check out the 9.5km Perdekop Hiking trail in Harkerville Forest.

It is an area that we haven’t had the opportunity to explore yet, and has a few different trails of varying distances, difficulties and scenery.

We could have chosen the Kranshoek Coastal Trail, which is a similar distance, and promises spectacular views, but we really fancied enjoying a Forest walk.

We will definitely try the Kranshoek Coastal Trail another time though.

For those looking for a longer hiking trail, there is also a two-day, 24km hike, that starts from the Harkerville Forestry Station, called the Harkerville Coast Hiking Trail. It is a circular route and includes both Forest and Coastal scenery and there are two different huts that you can overnight in. Perhaps this will also be a future adventure we will embark on.

The Perdekop (Horse’s Head, in English), is also a circular route starting and finishing at the Harkerville Forestry Station and is part of the Garden Route National Park.

In terms of the difficulty of the trail, I would describe it as an easy walk. It is a very clearly marked trail that meanders through beautiful indigenous forest to a small river and waterfall, which are found at about the half way point.

There is a slight descent to the trail, so once you reach the waterfall and pool, there is an initial ascent, as you start the return loop, and then the trail levels off again to a flat route.

This slight ascent is the only mildly strenuous section to the hiking trail, but you can stop to catch your breath if you need to and it is only a short section of the walk, so don’t be put off.

We have a Wild Card, so entry was free (but if you do not have one, there is a small entry fee to pay to enjoy this trail).

The lady at the reception was extremely friendly and helpful and pointed out to us that to follow the trail, we must go in the direction that the horse’s head points on the signage, and that the Perdekop Nature Walk takes 3-4 hours to complete.

So, we completed our hiking permit, grabbed our water bottles from the car, sprayed ourselves with mosquito repellent (just in case), and headed off into the forest.

The trail is well maintained and many of the trees have tags on their trunks listing the species, which is always great to see.

As well as the common species we often see in the indigenous forests around the coastal Garden Route, such as the Outeniqua Yellowwood trees and the stinkwoods, we saw Hard Pear, White Pear and White Alder, to name a few.

The pathway through the forest includes a few wooden boardwalk sections at the beginning and a couple of wooden bridges, but it is mainly a well trodden dirt pathway. There are also MTB routes which sometimes share the trail for a short way.

The dappled sunlight streaming through the tree branches and foliage, highlights the multitude of different colours, shades and tones of greens and browns you experience on a forest trail.

With Spring in the air, we also witnessed the vibrant bright lime green new growth of the ferns and other plants, as well as the fiery orange of the fungi clinging to some of the tree trunks and these sights, coupled with the various different bird song we could hear, was an absolute delight to the senses.

We reached the waterfall and stream at about the half way point of the trail, but sadly there was a rather noisy water pumping station operating just above the waterfall, which meant the the flow of the stream was very low, but still provided a small pretty pool in the stream below the waterfall trickle.

From here the path started its slight ascent, and then just after the 6km marker it opened up on to a jeep track, resulting in more sunlight, and a slightly less dense feeling of the forest around you.

The last part of the trail loops back into the forest and the final 1km is back tracking on the pathway to return to the car park.

The hike took Bryan and I about 2.5 hours to complete, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We didn’t see many birds, but I think this is partly due to the height of the trees in the forest. With the canopy so far above you, it is more difficult to spot the forest birds, unless you are avidly looking for them. Having said this, we certainly heard plenty, including the Knysna Loerie. We also glimpsed a bushbuck in the denseness of the forest.

So, in summary, if you are looking for a lovely forest trail, then I would recommend Perdekop Hiking Trail in the Harkerville Forest section of the Garden Route National Park.

Do not expect wide sweeping spectacular vistas, as you will be disappointed. If you are looking for that on your trail, pick a coastal path.

Instead, open your eyes and ears to all the small things living and growing here and enjoy the tranquil beauty the indigenous forest has to offer.

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