Table Mountain National Park: SANParks issues trail closure update! [update]

update (12 May 2025): On 09 May 2025, SANParks issued a public advisory urging visitors to stay off the Tokai and Silvermine trails in Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town due to ongoing flareups and hazardous conditions. The organization emphasizes that reopening the trails would be premature as the clearance of dangerous debris, including nails and pins, is still in progress.
The affected areas remain unstable underfoot, posing serious safety risks. SANParks also highlights the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystem, as emerging vegetation and wildlife in these areas are particularly vulnerable.
At present, SANParks cannot confirm a specific reopening date. Further announcements will be made as soon as the trails are deemed safe for public access.

South African National Parks (SANParks) has issued an update regarding the recent fire in Upper Tokai and surrounding areas in Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town. Due to the fire, several sections of the park remain closed for public safety until further notice.

Closed Areas:

• All hiking trails, horse riding tracks, and mountain biking paths in Upper Tokai.
• Silvermine East and West, including Gate 1 (Dam) and Gate 2 (Waterfall).
• Trails leading to Silvermine.
• Echo Valley, Peak’s Valley, Ou Kraal, Old Boyes Drive, and Kalk Bay trails.

Despite containment efforts, lingering hazards like smoldering logs, unstable ground, and falling debris continue to pose risks to visitors. Additionally, the fire has left wildlife in Table Mountain National Park exposed and vulnerable, increasing their risk of predation and human-wildlife conflicts.

While some areas remain off-limits, there are still several open trails for safe exploration, including:

• Elsie’s Peak
• Trappieskop
• Peers’ Cave
• Lower Tokai
• Noordhoek Beach
• Northern and Southern sections of Table Mountain National Park

Cape Town: Table Mountain National Park (Skeleton Gorge) fire update! [update #4]

update (03 May2024): South African National Parks (SANParks) has released another update on the Skeleton Gorge fire in Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town. According to SANParks, mop-up operations are currently taking place along the slopes of Fernwood Park and Newlands, involving more than 40 firefighters from Table Mountain National Park, NCC Environmental Services, Volunteer Wildfire Services, and Working on Fire.
Conservation rangers of Table Mountain National Park have been deployed to the 1000 steps area above the Kirstenbosch Contour Path, conducting much-needed trail rehabilitation.
The Skeleton Gorge and contour path between Cecilia Forest and Fernwood Park remains closed.

update (02 May 2024): SANParks has announced that the Skeleton Gorge fire in Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town is largely contained. Currently, firefighting efforts continue along the slopes of Fernwood Park and Newlands, involving more than 60 firefighters from Table Mountain National Park, NCC Environmental Services, Volunteer Wildfire Services, and Working on Fire, battling a large flare-up.

update (02 May 2024): According to a new media release by SANParks, the Skeleton Gorge fire in Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town has burnt approximately 283 hectares of veld. Light rain and mist over the past few days have helped contain the fire's spread on the Back Table, but isolated hot spots, smoldering stumps, as well as falling trees and rockfalls, remain a concern. Following an assessment conducted by Table Mountain National Park's conservation and fire management teams, hiking trails along Constantia Nek and Newlands, as well as trails along the Back Table between Camps Bay, Hout Bay, and Orangekloof, have been reopened. However, Skeleton Gorge and the contour path between Fernwood and Cecilia Forest remain closed.
Berg-like wind conditions are currently being experienced in the northern sections ofTable Mountain National Park; therefore, SANParks asks hikers to be very vigilant and move to safe areas if they see or smell smoke while hiking. The priority remains the safety of residents, hikers, and firefighters.

update (02 May 2024): According to a media release by SANParks, the Skeleton Gorge fire in Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town has burnt approximately 220 hectares of veld. Overnight flare-ups have been reported behind Newlands and Kirstenbosch. Light rain this morning has helped contain the fire's spread on the Back Table, but isolated hot spots, as well as falling trees and rockfalls, remain a concern at this stage. 
Therefore, hiking trails between Constantia Nek and Newlands, Maclears Beacon, Back Table, Platteklip Gorge, as well as trails leading to the Back Table between Camps Bay, Hout Bay and Orangekloof, remain closed.

South African National Parks (SANParks) reported several fires inside Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town on 27 April 2024. These fires were caused by lightning strikes in multiple areas, namely Cecilia Forest, Silvermine, and the Cape Of Good Hope (Cape Point) main road. Due to wind changes, overnight flare-ups have now been reported behind Newlands, Fernwood Park and on the slopes of Kirstenbosch, moving towards Orangekloof, as well as towards Maclear ‘s Beacon and the Back Table of Table Mountain National Park, with extensive burning observed in steep and challenging terrain on the slopes of Kirstenbosch and Fernwood. The affected areas are mostly inaccessible, and visibility is poor, posing challenges for ground and aerial crews and making it difficult to carry out water-bombing activities and active fire suppression.

As of today (30 April 2024), the following hiking trails are closed to the public:

• Platteklip Gorge hiking trail
• All hiking trails between Newlands and Constantia Nek
• All trails leading to Maclear’s Beacon and the Back Table
• Trails leading from the area between Camps Bay, Hout Bay, and Orangekloof

After a temporary closure caused by a fire, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has reopened its doors to the public. However, hikers are advised not to access the garden via Cecelia or Newlands Forest as these areas are still considered unsafe.

Zimbabwe: The "Lookout Cafe" in Victoria Falls announced the reopening date! [update]

update (13 December 2019): The Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe has been re-opened on 01 December 2019!

update (10 July 2019): According to the website of the Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls, the opening date has again been postponed. The new opening date is 01 December 2019!

The famous Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which was completely devastated by fire in the early hours of 24 December 2018, has announced a new re-opening date. Due to unforseen circumstances and numerous hindrances along the way, the famous restaurant will not reopen in May/June 2019, but on 01 September 2019.


The semi open-air Lookout Cafe, which is operated by Wild Horizons, is located 120m above the turbulent rapids of the Zambezi River, overhanging the Batoka Gorge, just down from the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge.

Western Cape: Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve closed until further notice! [update]

update (01 February 2019): The Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve has been reopened today!

CapeNature, the public institution with the statutory responsibility for biodiversity conservation in South Africa's Western Cape, has informed the public that the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve has been closed until further notice due to the Groenlandberg fires. This includes overnight huts, hiking trails, ziplining and kloofing. The public is urged to steer clear of the area.



The 70 000-hectare Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve is located in the Hottentots Holland Mountains, about 90km south-east of Cape Town. It stretches from Elgin in the south to beyond Villiersdorp in the north and from the Stellenbosch Mountains in the west to the Groenland Mountains in the east.

Victoria Falls: The "Lookout Cafe" is closed until further notice! [update]

update (05 March 2019): The reconstruction of the Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls is set to commence. The expected date of completion has been set to some time in May 2019, but the actual date is yet to be confirmed.

update (13 February 2019): According to the websiste of the Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls, it will re-open in June 2019. We'll keep you posted!

The famous Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe was completely devastated by fire in the early hours of 24 December 2018 and will be closed for the foreseeable future. The cause of the fire is not yet known. There were no injuries or casualties in the incident. The semi open-air cafe, which is operated by Wild Horizons, is located 120m above the turbulent rapids of the Zambezi River, overhanging the Batoka Gorge, just down from the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge.

Western Cape: Kogelberg Nature Reserve closed until further notice! [update]

update (18 January 2019): The Kogelberg Nature Reserve will remain closed until 31 January 2019 due to severe wildfires in the area.

CapeNature's Kogelberg Nature Reserve is closed until further notice because of fires in the area. Members of the public are urged to stay clear of the area until the fires are brought under control. The Kogelberg Nature Reserve is a 3,000 ha Nature Reserve located to the east of Cape Town. It is known to be one of the to be the most beautiful of CapeNature's protected areas. The Reserve's exceptional diversity and quality of fynbos means it is also considered the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom.

Pilanesberg National Park: A massive fire burned down about 50% of the National Park!

North West Parks Board (NWPB), which manages 15 protected reserves in South Africa's North West Province, has released a media statement regarding the massive fire that occured in Pilanesberg National Park in early September 2018. According to the NWPB, the fire entered the National Park from the north and burnt very intensly through the central parts towards the southern boundary. The fire also spread to the east and the area known as the Wilderness Area burnt down completely. The total area burnt to date is approximately 50% of the National Park. Little damage was done to infrastructure of Pilanesberg National Park. Unfortunately, the well-known and very popular Mankwe hide, situated on the edge of the Mankwe dam, was completely destroyed, but lodges like the Ivory Tree Game Lodge and the Bakgatla Resort as well as pupular picnic sites like Fish-Eagle picnic site suffered no damage.

Western Cape: CapeNature closed two Nature Reserves due to ongoing fires!

The Western Cape in South Africa is currently in the middle of the annual fire season. Due to ongoing fires in the area (see map below), CapeNature, the public institution responsible for biodiversity conservation in the province, decided to close both the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve and the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve to the public until further notice. We'll keep you posted!



The Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve lies in the majestic Hottentots Holland Mountains, about 90km south-east of Cape Town. The 70 000-hectare reserve stretches from Elgin in the south to beyond Villiersdorp in the north, and from the Stellenbosch Mountains in the west, eastwards to the Groenland Mountains, and is a World Heritage Site.

The Jonkershoek Nature Reserve is home to the majestic Jonkershoek Mountains and parts of the Jonkershoek valley. The reserve, which includes the smaller Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve, lies near the town of Stellenbosch in the south-western Cape. Visitors may choose to explore one or both reserves, as they are in easy reach of each other. The reserves are about 9km from Stellenbosch, on the Jonkershoek valley road.

Table Mountain National Park: Various trails closed due to fires!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has closed various trails in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) due to recent fires that broke out in the Park.

• Red Hill Trail via Kleinplaas Dam to Slangkop is closed until the repairs to the trail post-fire can be affected
• Swartkopberg Trail is under repair and currently closed
• The Chapmans Peak footpath (on the Noordhoek side) is closed indefinitely
• The Riverwalk in Silvermine West is closed for construction and will reopen as soon as the construction work is complete. Silvermine West remains open to the public

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Western Cape: Kogelberg Nature Reserve closed due to fire!

update (22 Jan 2016): The Kogelberg Nature Reserve has been reopened to the public. The reopening includes all accommodation, the Palmiet trail and the Oudebosch trails. The Kogelberg trail and Mountain Bike trail remain closed!

The Kogelberg Nature Reserve, located along the mountainous coast on the eastern edge of Cape Town, has been closed until further notice due to a fire that broke out in the Overberg region on 16 January 2016. There is no current threat to the reserve or to the accommodation in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve - however there is a great deal of smoke in the area, and the decision has been made by Cape Nature to close for the safety of the public.

Lekker place for a meeting. #TodaysOffice #Kogelberg #naturereserve #Kogelberg #Sandstone #fynbos

Ein von Rupert (@rk_ct) gepostetes Foto am 8. Sep 2015 um 2:12 Uhr

Table Mountain National Park (TMNP): Certain burnt areas to re-open!

Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has announced the re-opening of certain burnt areas which had been closed off to the public following the fires in March 2015. These areas were closed for the safety of visitors and to allow natural systems to recover. Five months after the fire, fynbos recovery is showing great progress, so that visitors to Table Mountain National Park can look forward to their favourite hikes and to see the wonders of fynbos. 

• The mountains above Lakeside, Muizenberg, St James and Kalk Bay will reopen to the public at the start of SA National Parks Week (14 - 19 September 2015). 
• Permitted recreational activities in the re-opened areas mentioned above will continue as before, including hiking and dog walking with people kindly requested to remain on demarcated footpaths and to be mindful of rules pertaining to keeping dogs under control.
• Re-opened paths in Table Mountain National Park include: Pecks Valley, Bailey’s Kloof, Spes Bona, Echo Valley, Trappies Kop, Ou Kraal and Steenberg Plateau.
• Gifkommetjie and Circles Vlei areas, located in the Cape of Good Hope section of the Table Mountain National Park, have also been re-opened to the public. 
• Burnt infrastructure has been replaced and visible signage has been put up to indicate existing routes
• The unique Olifantsbos Beach-Cottage at Cape Point is now also open for bookings
• The Silvermine area, including the mountains above Hout Bay, Noordhoek and Constantia, will reopen by the end of December 2015.
• The Upper Tokai section of Table Mountain National Park remains closed as rehabilitation work still in progress. The area may reopen in early 2016. 

Kenya: Fires on Mt. Kenya finally put out

update (03 April 2012): The fires on Mt. Kenya and in the Aberdare mountains are now finally out. [more]

update (29 March 2012): Strong winds have rekindled raging fires on the Aberdare National Park complicating efforts by a team of officers to put it off. By Wednesday (28 March 2012), officials estimated that about 15,000 hectares of grassland at the park was destroyed by the fire, which started some two weeks ago. [more]

Good news from Mount Kenya National Park in Kenya. The fires that have been raging across the National Park for the last 9 days have been extinguished. There are currently no more active burning fires in the mountain accept for some logs that are still smoldering in rather isolated parts. Nevertheless roundabout 10% of of the mountain's forest has been destroyed by the fire. A second fire in the neighbouring Aberdare National Park has also largely been contained.
According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, the big mammal species like elephants, buffalos, bush bucks and the primates have been moved away from the fire. However, an unknown number of smaller invertebrates and reptiles like snakes were killed by the fire.
Kenya Wildlife Service officials said the fires on Mount Kenya were caused by "arsonists with ill intentions." It was previously said that the fires could have been set intentionally to help poachers escape after an attack. Shame of them!

Fires in Etosha National Park

The German Namibian newspaper "Allgemeine Zeitung" is today reporting about massive fires in the Etosha National Park. The newspaper is quoting a tour guide saying that the ongoing fires are the biggest she has ever seen in Etosha.
The "Allgemeine Zeitung" is actually the only source reporting about the fire, no other Namibian or Southern African newspaper is saying anything about it. You can check the fire situation on FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System). Click on the map below for more information!

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Up to 4 die in Cape Town backpackers fire

According to news24 and IOL at least 4 backpackers died today in a fire that broke out at "Two Oceans Backpackers" on Longstreet. Seven more guest were injured and are in hospital right now, 4 of them in serious condition. The fire broke out around 5am, Superintendent Andre Traut told the media. Will keep you updated as soon as more info are available!

Sincere condolences!

seb

update: The building was completely destroyed in the fire, the cause of which was still unclear at the the moment.

update: Loop Street is closed at Strand Street. Waterkant is closed at Long and Bree streets.

update: Arson expert called

update: death inquest opened

update: News24: "Meanwhile, locals said the Two Oceans backpackers acted more as a permanent hostel than temporary accommodation for tourists. The owners of the backpackers were facing eviction as their lease was drawing to an end."

update: The Times: "Police had raided the premises on several occasions, and made arrests for robbery, theft and drug-related charges. "That building is not unfamiliar to the SAPS in Cape Town," he said."