KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal carries some of Southern Africa's most significant hiking country. The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg World Heritage Site offers everything from short valley walks to serious high-altitude multi-day traverses; iSimangaliso brings coastal and wetland trails to the north; and the Midlands and Valley of a Thousand Hills provide more accessible day-walk options. The range of terrain, altitude and ecosystems is wider here than in most other regions on SA Hikes.

For a landscape and planning overview, see Discover KwaZulu-Natal. For the reserves that contain these routes, see KwaZulu-Natal Reserves.

KwaZulu-Natal's protected areas include two UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park — alongside Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, one of Africa's oldest proclaimed reserves and the site of the southern white rhino's recovery. SA Hikes lists 41 KZN reserves, covering their ecology, access and the hiking opportunities within each.

For the hiking trails themselves, see KwaZulu-Natal Hikes. For a regional overview, see Discover KwaZulu-Natal.