Newlands Forest Collection: Southern Loop Self-Guided Hiking Tour
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Newlands Forest, tucked against the back slopes of Table Mountain, is one of Cape Town's most rewarding places to walk. On this hiking tour, you'll follow jeep tracks and footpaths through a layered landscape of afrotemperate forest, pine and eucalyptus plantations, and rocky river valleys. You'll also discover the human and natural history woven into every corner of these woods.
The tour starts at the Newlands Forest parking lot, heading uphill past the Newlands Fire Base with its helipad and firefighting Huey helicopters. From there, you'll move onto dirt tracks shared with mountain bikers before ducking into dense indigenous forest, crossing streams on stepping stones, and even spotting an occasional view through the trees.
The route takes you past the ruins of Paradise, a Dutch East India Company garrison later occupied by Lady Anne Barnard – Scottish poet, artist, and diarist – before descending into Donkerkloof (Dark Valley) with its dramatic drop-offs and a river crossing on stepping stones. You'll pass through stands of towering eucalyptus and pine planted for logging, contrast them with pockets of ancient afrotemperate forest, and finish alongside Newlands Stream before crossing a green footbridge through the cool of the valley. The tour ends back at the Newlands Forest parking lot, where coffee trucks await and Foresters Arms in Newlands Avenue is a short drive away for a well-earned meal.
On this 90-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:
- Spot South African Forest Tree Ferns along Fernwood Stream, a species that predates the dinosaurs
- Learn how Jan van Riebeeck used wild almond trees to build his defensive hedge in the early days of Dutch settlement
- Hear how volunteer groups like the Friends of Table Mountain maintain and restore the forest year-round
- Listen in on stories about severe 2023 storms that carved chest-deep erosion channels into the jeep tracks overnight
- Catch views across the Cape Flats to the Helderberg mountains from a gap in the forest
- Watch for squirrels perching at the tops of curved pines as you pass through the plantation sections
Lace up your hiking boots, take it at your own pace, and let the forest do the rest.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Pamela Russell
I am a long-time Cape Town resident and avid hiker. I love to talk about and share my experience of Cape Town with friends and family from elsewhere. VoiceMap gives me a platform to extend that hospitality - and those "local" experiences - more widely.
I've known about VoiceMap for a while now and have used it internationally in several countries. Since it's a South African product, I've always toyed with the idea of publishing a tour or two here.
Since retiring and turning 60, I've finally acted on this impulse. I'm starting with an exploration of the gardens at the new Riverlands Mall and precinct, an easy and informative walk suitable for all ages.
I would like my portfolio to eventually include a few similar semi-urban or park walks. I also plan to head off the beaten track with some easy and moderate hikes. These will include a smattering of history and some information on the flora and fauna along the way.
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Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 16
Lady Ann Barnard
This is Paradise, a group of buildings constructed by the Dutch East India Company as a garrison, where a Master Woodcutter was tasked with...
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Newlands Forest
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Newlands Forest Fire Base / Fire Station
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Newlands Forest Hiking Trail
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Paradise - Lady Anne Barnard's Cottage - Dutch East India Company Heritage Site
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Total distance4km
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Final locationUpper, Cannon St, Newlands, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
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Distance back to start location162.65m
Directions to Starting Point
This hike starts in the Newlands Forest parking lot. Check it out on your preferred map app before going. There are two lots, a small one that is straight ahead when you turn off the M3 highway, and a larger one that requires you to turn right just after entering between the stone entry posts. Both are dirt, and although mostly flat, they do respect the forest that surrounds them and so some rocks and tree roots - and even a large stump - remain.
Another option, especially on weekends or during holidays, is to park on the side of the M3 highway, or else in the suburb just down hill from it. It is legal to park alongside the M3 so long as you are well inside the yellow line. However - and this is VERY important - if you park on the opposite side of the highway from the forest PLEASE make use of the pedestrian subway to cross. It is clean and well lit, and there is a security guard hut at one end. It comes up at the far end of the larger parking lot. You would then cross that lot diagonally towards your left to find the start of the hike.
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Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
Outside the forest in the carparks, there are two coffee vendors. I'd recommend a drink on the way out, not the way in.
En route, you can stop wherever looks appealing for a snack or drink from your backpack. Take away everything that you bring in.
Foresters Arms on Newlands Avenue is a popular watering hole after a hike. Check their opening hours, and maybe even book if you'll be finishing up at a popular time. The Gardener's Cottage is also a good option but for that, definitely book.
Best time of day
Take this walk any morning or mid-afternoon, all year long. Leave time to finish well before dark. Newlands Forest is one of the more shaded sections of the mountain, but can still be hot in summer. In winter, it is very beautiful with stream crossings and greenery.
Precautions
Crime on the mountain is always a possibility. Newlands Forest is one of the safest sections, because it is one of the busiest. But remain alert and do not hike alone. Going onto the mountain solo is never a good idea in any case, as a slip and fall is also more dangerous when you are on your own.
Make sure to wear proper closed shoes, preferably hiking boots or trail shoes, although a trainer should do in a pinch. Please carry sufficient water. Take a few snacks in case you are delayed for any reason. A few light layers are a good idea in cases the weather changes. I hike with a stick when I feel it might be wet / slippery.
Make sure to program the number of Wilderness Search and Rescue into your phone: (021) 937-0300. Other numbers are listed online and on notice boards in the forest. By all means record them but this is your best one-stop-shop for any type of incident as they can access the right resources efficiently.
Parts of the forest can be very humid - as a glasses wearer, I've had to take them off in sections of this particular walk. So have an alternative if possible or else be equipped to polish them frequently.
There are some steep drop-offs alongside sections of the route. If you are uncomfortable with that, have a plan (e.g. a trusted companion who can keep you calm) to get safely past those sections. Be aware as well of the risk to children and keep them close. I always pre-announce those sections.
Don't take the tour if you feel you won't be able to walk across a waterfall on natural (and so not always perfectly placed) stepping stones. At the crossing on this tour, there should be room for a more confident walker to brace themselves and let you use them for balance, if need be.
Dogs are abundant in the forest. Walkers are required to have permits, and to keep dogs on-leash at the entrance to the forest. Thereafter they can be off-leash provided they have good recall and remain on the paths in sight of their owners. So expect to encounter a few, especially at busy times. They are mostly used to meeting strangers along the path. Most owners will keep their young dogs on-leash until they are comfortable with the forest.
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