Otter Trail

Otter Trail
View from Skilderkrans across Bloubaai-Wes
Length	41 kilometres (25 mi)
Location	Garden Route, South Africa
Trailheads	Storms River Mouth Nature's Valley
Use	Hiking

Tidal pools at Ngubu Huts

Oakhurst Huts next to Lottering River at the ocean mouth

Sunset from Andre Huts at the Kliprivier mouth

The Otter Trail is a hiking trail along the Garden Route coast of South Africa and is named for the Cape Clawless Otter^[1] which occurs in this region. This trail is widely regarded as one of the finest in the world and stretches from Storms River Mouth 34°01′15.5″S 23°52′47.5″E / 34.020972°S 23.879861°E / -34.020972; 23.879861 in the east to Nature's Valley 33°58′56″S 23°34′36″E / 33.98222°S 23.57667°E / -33.98222; 23.57667 in the west, is 26 km long as the crow flies and 41 km as the hiker walks. Walking the trail takes 5 days, and the 4 nights are spent in comfortable huts with superb views. The route is located entirely within the Tsitsikamma National Park, which protects an 80 km long strip of coastal mountains, forest and beaches.

The trail traverses an extremely scenic landscape, never straying far from the shoreline, but often climbing steeply and then descending to the beach or a river crossing. Vegetation along the way is either fynbos, dense gallery forest or open, rocky sections near the sea with an abundance of wildflowers.

Trail stages

• Day 1 - 4.8 km (± 2 hours)
• Day 2 - 7.9 km (± 4 hours)
• Day 3 - 7.7 km (± 4 hours)
• Day 4 - 13.8 km (± 6 hours)
• Day 5 - 6.8 km (± 3 hours)
• Total Distance 41 km

See also

• South African National Parks

References

1. ^ Delien Burger, ed. "20. Tourism". South Africa Yearbook 2007/08 (15 ed.). South African Government Communication and Information System. pp. 548. ISBN 978-0-621-37568-8. http://www.gcis.gov.za/docs/publications/yearbook/2008/. 

• Official site at South African National Parks