GARDEN ROUTE NATIONAL PARK - WILDERNESS

Garden Route National Park - Wilderness

​In the heart of South Africa's famous Garden Route, a captivating world of lakes, rivers, estuaries and beaches gently unfolds against a backdrop of lush forest and lofty mountains – all elements that characterise the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park.

Nature trails wind through densely wooded forest and along tranquil rivers, affording you the opportunity to encounter the brilliantly coloured Knysna lourie, or one of the five kingfisher species that occur here. During spring, a carpet of flowers, further enhance the verdant beauty of this National Park.

Experience whales and dolphins from Dolphin Point. Hire a canoe or bicycle, go abseiling, kloofing, paragliding or hang-gliding. Go boating, fishing at Island Lake or hike to the waterfall above Ebb and Flow Rest Camp. You do not have to be super fit to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. There are activities for young, old, energetic or idle: take a stroll along a forest path or visit the bird hide and discover the wealth of bird life. Lie back in a canoe on a quiet backwater and watch the world float by. Camp under the stars alongside the river or stay in log cabins on stilts.

The Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park stretches from the Touw River mouth to the Swartvlei estuary and beyond, where it links with the Goukamma Nature Reserve, giving welcome protection to five lakes and the Serpentine, which is the winding strip of water joining Island Lake to the Touw River at the Ebb and Flow Rest Camp.

Accommodation

Ebb and Flow Rest Camp (South)

• All accommodation is serviced daily and provided with bedding, towels and soap
• 4-bed family cottages, each with two bedrooms, one bathroom (bath), open plan, partially equipped kitchen
• 4-bed log cottages on wooden stilts, each with two bedrooms, one bathroom (bath & shower), open plan, partially equipped kitchen
• Forest Cabins – 4 beds and 2 beds – ablutions and partially equipped kitchens - a communal kitchen for cooking

Ebb & Flow Rest Camp (North)

• 2-bed Rondavel, each with bathroom (shower) and basic kitchen equipment
• 2-bed Rondavel, communal ablution facilities and basic kitchen equipment

NB: The rondavels are basic and are classified as budget accommodation

Caravan\Camping

• Wilderness offers both caravan sites and campsites on the banks of the Touw River with communal ablutions and scullery facilities close by
• Some sites at Ebb and Flow Restcamp (South) are equipped with 220V power points
• The power points are for caravan plugs only; to be able to use a normal three-point plug you need the applicable adapter
• A maximum of six persons, one caravan with a side tent and one vehicle, or one tent and one vehicle, or one autovilla or one motorised caravan will be permitted per site

Activities

Recreational Activities and Adventures

• Swimming, rowing, fishing, at Wilderness beach, the Touw River and some of the lakes
• Water-skiing is restricted to Island Lake and Swartvlei
• Volleyball and basket ball
• Bird hides at Langvlei and Rondevlei
• Hiking : There are five trails all located in the National Park, all with varying distances and degrees of difficulty

Canoeing

Start at the Ebb and Flow Rest Camp (Wilderness Section) and canoe the winding Touw River, which leads to Wilderness beach or gently canoe on the Wilderness Lagoon.

Fishing

Fishing is allowed in the following sections of Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park - Leentjiesklip, Kleinkrans, Sandhoogte, Swartvlei, Eilandvlei, and Gericke’s Point.

Birding

Due to the many different ecosystems within the Park ranging from the indigenous forest to the rocky shore, Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park has become a bird paradise.

Contact us for more information and bookings

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