It was quite late the Saturday afternoon, and after deciding to sleep a bit in, we decided to do a hiking trail that is close to home. So we headed to Hedianga farm which is located in Olympus (Pretoria) and just a short 10-minute drive from home.
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This farm has been on my list for some time, however, the whole ‘farm’ idea made me think of kilometres of an open field. How surprised I was after this hike, as this was not the case. And it is pet-friendly!
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Some basic information
Location
Situated in the Olympus area of Pretoria, there is a sign with the name of the farm located right at the entrance. When turning into the farm, it is a very short drive on the gravel road to the parking area. Don’t worry, you can easily drive this in a small car. From here you park your car and make your way to the paying area.
Price
The pricing is as follows (2022):
- Adults – R55
- Scholars and Students – R35
- Kids under 12 – FREE
They have a special on Wednesdays after 3 pm until sundown where you only pay R40 per adult and R20 for children and students.
Operating hours
The farm is open 7 days a week from 6 am to 6:30 pm.
The trails
There are three loop trails to choose from, ranging from easy to moderate. All three trails are also very well marked.
The green trail
This is a super easy 5km trail that is especially popular right before sunset when people bring their dogs for a quick walk.
All three trails start at the same spot, and the first few kilometers are mostly shaded.
You will make your way through the first gate and this is where your first short elevation starts. After this elevation, the green trail will make its way to the right and back to the parking area, where the other two trails continue to the left.
The yellow trail
The yellow trail is a moderate 10 km trail that will provide you with various beautiful sceneries. This was the trail we opted for as we did only start the trail at 3 pm and weren’t sure how long the trail would take.
The 10 km trail took us about 2 and a half hours to complete.
It mostly starts in the shade and then after the first elevation it is a mixture of shade and sun, so make sure to take a sunhat, especially if you are hiking during the heat of the day. The trail is mostly rocky, but you get a few spots with sand and gravel grounds. There is also an area where you walk beneath a pylon.
The trail is the same as the red trail where the trail splits up at about 7km and the yellow trail continues straight. This is also where the trail links back with the 5km trail. You’ll get to a big gravel road and here you continue to the left and make your way back to the farm.
The red trail
The red trail is a moderate 15km trail that forms part of the first 7km of the yellow trail. It makes its way to the left at the 7km mark of the yellow trail and makes its way down the mountain and backs up again.
Other activities
There are various other activities that you can also do on the farm.
These include:
Mountain biking
This is a popular spot for mountain biking. The trail does connect with the hiking trails, but there are some signs up to indicate this. It also doesn’t happen often.
The trail is very rocky and technical and is about 8km.
Dog walking
Probably one of the reasons why this farm is so popular is as you can bring your furry friends. There are times and areas when you can take your pets off their leash.
“On Leash” times and “Off-leash” times are as follows:
- 6.00 am until 9 am “on leash.”
- 9.00 am until 12 noon “off leash”
- 12 noon until 4.00 pm “on a leash”
- 4.00 pm until closing “off leash”
- 6.00 am until 9 am “on leash.”
- 9.00 am until 12 noon “off leash”
- 12 noon until closing “on a leash”
- 6.30 am until 9 am “on a leash”
- 9.00 am until 12 p noon “off leash”
- 12 noon until 4 pm “on a leash”
- 4.00 pm until closing “off leash”
Picnic
For the last 1 km of all three trails, you’ll find a great picnic spot that overlooks the city. Make sure to take some snacks with you and grab a seat while watching the sunset.
Overall thoughts
As I’ve mentioned above, I was really surprised by this trail. With some good elevation, but also not too bad to make you feel like you are dying. The trail was also really well-marked out and easy to follow. I would definitely be back to try out the 15km trail.
We were also surprised by the beautiful sunset at the end.
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