Groenendal Wilderness Area

The 30 000 hectare Groendal Wilderness Area protects the water catchment area of the Swartkops River (KwaZungha River), with the Groendal Dam in its centre. It lies about 10 km from Uitenhage, which is about 30 minutes drive from Port Elizabeth (37 km) on the R367. Paintings and artefacts that you may stumble across in the series of caves in the wilderness area are protected by law. Lying within the Groot Winterhoek Mountain range, this wilderness area has rugged terrain incised by numerous streams and ravines. The vegetation is predominantly fynbos with a great diversity of individual species. Isolated pockets of indigenous forest occur in the ravines, and there are also elements of thorny, semi-succulent Valley Bushveld scrub. There is not a wide range of mammal species within Groendal, but hikers may see baboon, common duiker, Cape Grysbok, bushbuck, grey rhebok and mountain reedbuck. Birdlife within the Groendal Wilderness Area is fairly diverse, with approximately 180 species having been recorded. The beautiful Groendal Wilderness Area is the only established wilderness area in the Eastern Cape roughly 10 km from Uitenhage, renowned for its remoteness and myriad hiking trails.