If you've been planning a trip to the Garden Route for your next hiking or cycling escape, we've got good news. South African National Parks (SANParks) has just confirmed which trails in the Knysna Section of the Garden Route National Park are currrently open and ready for boots and bike tyres.
Why were the Knysna trails Cclosed in the first place?
Earlier this year, the Garden Route was hit by a run of severe storms that battered the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape. The Knysna Section bore the brunt of it, recording an extraordinary 378mm of rainfall in a matter of days — the kind of downpour that turns forest streams into torrents and topples trees that have stood for decades. Roads including Kom se pad and Kranshoek were blocked by fallen timber, parts of the R339 were reduced to 4x4-only access, and power and network outages made it hard for park teams to even assess the damage in real time.
With saturated catchments, flash-flooding risk, and unstable trees threatening to drop branches on unsuspecting hikers, SANParks closed hiking and cycling trails across the section as a precaution. Since then, clean-up crews have been steadily clearing debris, inspecting bridges and boardwalks, and making sure the trails are genuinely safe before reopening them to the public.
What's open right now
Harkerville
Hiking trails:
- Perdekop Trail
- Kranshoek Trail (9km)
- Flora Trail
- Garden of Eden Boardwalk
Cycling trails:
- Red Route
- Blue Route
- Yellow Route
- Black Route
Diepwalle
- White Elephant Trail (8km)
- Black Elephant Trail (9km)
- Red Elephant Trail (7km)
- Terblans Trail (6.5km)
Bonus Access: Kom se Pad
If you've got a high-clearance vehicle or a bike and a sense of adventure, Kom se Pad is open too, giving you another way to explore the area beyond the marked trails.
What's still closed
Not everything has reopened just yet. The Outeniqua Hiking Trail is still undergoing repair work, and the section between Rondebossie and Harkerville remains closed until further notice. If the Outeniqua Trail is on your bucket list, it's worth checking in with SANParks before you plan your trip, as this stretch will likely be one of the last to reopen given the scale of storm damage in that area.
Planning Your Trip
A few quick tips before you lace up:
- Book ahead where required — some Harkerville and Diepwalle trails need permits, so check with SANParks or the relevant office before you go.
- Check conditions closer to your travel date — the Garden Route's weather can turn quickly, and SANParks issues regular updates during and after storm events.
- Pack for variety — you'll move between deep forest shade and exposed coastal cliffs, sometimes on the same trail, so layers are your friend.
- Respect the recovery — these forests have been through a rough patch. Stick to marked trails and take any posted warnings seriously; clean-up crews are still working in some areas.
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