Storm's River, Tsitsikamma National Park

The Tsitsikamma National Park is a protected area on the

Garden Route The Garden Route (Afrikaans: ''Tuinroete'') is a stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa which extends from Witsand in the Western Cape Province, Western Cape to the border of Tsitsikamma Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name com ...

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

and Eastern Cape,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. It is a coastal reserve well known for its indigenous forests, dramatic coastline, and the Otter Trail. On 6 March 2009 it was amalgamated with the Wilderness National Park and various other areas of land to form the Garden Route National Park. The park covers an long stretch of coastline.

Nature's Valley Nature's Valley is a holiday resort and small village on the Garden Route along the southern Cape coast of South Africa. Nature's Valley lies between the Salt River, the foothills of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, the Indian Ocean and the Groot River ...

is at the western end of the park, and the main accommodation is at Storms River Mouth. Near the park is the Bloukrans Bridge, the world's highest bridge

bungee jump Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...

at . The word "Tsitsikamma" originates from the

Khoekhoe language The Khoekhoe language (), also known by the ethnic terms Nama (''Namagowab'') , Damara (''ǂNūkhoegowab''), or Nama/Damara and formerly as Hottentot, is the most widespread of the non-Bantu languages of Southern Africa that make heavy use o ...

''tse-tsesa'', meaning "clear", and ''gami'', meaning "water", probably referring to the clear water of the

Tsitsikamma River The Tsitsikamma River ( af, Tsitsikammarivier) is a small river at the western end of the Eastern Cape coast, South Africa. It is part of the Fish to Tsitsikama Water Management Area. Course It is a small permanent river that has its sources i ...

. Other meanings are 'place of much water' and 'waters begin'.Dictionary of Southern African Place Names
/ref>

Camps

Storms River

Various amenities, including a restaurant, shop, chalets, campsite and caravan park, information centre, adventure bookings office, the Agulhas lookout platform, trees marked with their national tree list numbers, and underwater trails. The restaurant was destroyed by fire in November 2016.

Nature's Valley Rest Camp

This camp is situated in De Vasselot on the banks of the Groot River, about 30 km from Plettenberg Bay and about 40 km from Storms River Rest Camp. It is an ideal region for bird watchers and has a variety of trails for hikers.

Trails

The Otter Trail starts at the Storms River camp and the South African National Parks has laid out several short trails for day visitors. Set in the

, the trails lead through coastal and forest scenes, as well as various waterfalls, streams, and rivers. l. The Suspension Bridge and Lookout Trail is an easy stroll that leads along the western side of the river mouth, past the Strandloper Cave to the suspension bridge across the mouth. On the other side of the bridge, there is a short but very steep climb to a lookout point from which there are fine views of the mouth and the camp. 2. The

Waterfall Trail A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several ...

is a short but demanding hike that follows the first of the Otter Trail; hikers may not walk beyond the waterfall unless hiking the Otter Trail. 3. The

Blue Duiker Trail Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ob ...

starts just west of the information centre and leads through the scrub forest tip to the Agulhas lookout from where whales and dolphins can often be spotted in winter. After crossing a short section of fynbos, the trail takes hikers into the dry forest with some fine Sickle-leaved Yellowwoods evident. The Blue Duiker Trail continues through the forest, crossing a stream below a delightful waterfall. Several more streams and a cavernous tree bole mark the route. After crossing the road to the camp, the path drops to the coast just west of the start of the Waterfall/Otter trails and returns past the campsite and chalets. Birdlife unique to the forest is found west of the road, which makes this trail a favorite with birdwatchers. 4. The

Lourie Trail Lourie is a name from Scotland, Northern England and Ireland. It often appears as Laurie and Lowry. Notable people with the surname include: * Arthur Lourié (born 1892), Russian composer * Don Lourie (born 1899), American football player * ...

is a shortcut to the Blue Duiker Trail, marked with a yellow sign. This trail passes next to a waterfall and has gorgeous views over the marine reserve. During the whaling period, and if the sea is calm, whales can often be seen from the top of the cliffs.

Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Area

The Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Area is situated along the shoreline of the park, and provides protection for marine habitat and wildlife, including birds and threatened and endangered fish species. It is one of the largest and oldest restricted (no-take) MPAs in the world. The location is in near pristine condition and is thus suitable as a suitable area for research on endangered fish species. It was designated as a Marine Protected Area in 1964. The length of the protected shoreline is 60 km, and the area of protected ocean is 186 km². The MPA is also managed by SANParks.

References

External links

Tsitsikamma National Park website

Tsitsikamma Hiking Trail Information
{{authority control Protected areas of the Western Cape Protected areas of the Eastern Cape National parks of South Africa