Kranztkloof Nature Reserve is on the coastal escarpment to the west of Durban between the towns of Pinetown and Hillcrest. The reserve is 530 ha in extent and is covered by dense coastal forest and grasslands above the deep gorges carved out by the Molweni and Nqutu Rivers. There are two view sites and three trails from where you can experience the spectacular scenery in the reserve.
There are two well developed picnic sites, one at the Kloof Falls and the other at Nqutu Falls, from where 20 kms of marked hiking trails depart. There is an interpretive centre at the Kloof Falls site which can be booked for functions.
There is some interesting flora and fauna in the reserve and you can expect to see impala, bushbuck, blue duiker, vervet monkeys and mongoose as well as cane rats. You will also come across one of South Africa’s tallest trees, the Natal quince, which only occurs in a few scattered places.
Birding enthusiasts will also not be disappointed with over 200 species listed including purple crested turaco, green coucal, gymnogene, narino trogon, the African crowned eagle and Wahlberg’s eagle and the African broadbill.
Trail information:
Nqutu Falls Trail – starts at Nqutu Falls picnic site, 1.5 hours or 3 hours if the second waterfall is visited, return on outward route.
Molweni Trail – can start at Kloof Falls picnic site or Uve Road car park or Nqutu Falls picnic site, 5 hours, strenuous as it is the only trail that descends to the bottom of the gorge with a 350m climb out, hikers should not proceed past Splash Rock. The trail is open-ended.
Beacon Trail – starts at the Kloof Falls picnic site, follows the Molweni trail and then through grassland to a beacon, winds down into the gorge to Splash pool, return on Molweni trail, circular.
Getting there: 152 Kloof Falls Road, Kloof, 26 km inland from Durban. Turn off the R613 at Kloof station turn-off, cross the railway bridge, turn immediately left, turn left again at the T-junction, then right into Kloof Falls Road and continue until after the Emolweni River is crossed, to the entrance.
Tel: +27 (0)31 764 3515
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