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Northern Cape
Northern Cape

Northern Cape

The Northern Cape is South Africa's largest province and one of its least-hiked — distances are enormous, temperatures are extreme and water sources are few. The Richtersveld offers extraordinary remote mountain desert walking; Augrabies Falls and the Kgalagadi provide more contained options within their parks. Namaqualand's trails are seasonal, best in August and September when the wildflower displays make the timing worthwhile.

For a regional overview, see Discover Northern Cape. For the reserves where these trails are found, see Northern Cape Reserves.

The Northern Cape's reserves span three distinct landscapes: the Karoo interior, the Kalahari semi-arid savanna and the Namaqualand coastal desert. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Augrabies Falls National Park are the most visited; the Richtersveld, now part of the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, protects one of Southern Africa's most remote desert mountain environments. SA Hikes lists 25 Northern Cape reserves with landscape, access and hiking information for each.

For the hiking trails themselves, see Northern Cape Hikes. For a regional overview, see Discover Northern Cape.