MTB and 4x4 Routes
Saddle up your mountain bike to ride amid the towering white dunes (up to 60 m high) dwarfing the blood-orange Kalahari surrounds. Sandy dirt roads wind through the arid acacia woodland here along the slopes of the Langeberg ranges.
There are a good 30-40 km of gravel roads and tracks winding within the reserve borders, so expect to spend at least 2–3 hours in the saddle.
The Kalahari Mountain View Dune 4x4 Trail is located on a private farm, but visitors to Witsand are permitted to make use of the 27 km sand and mountain trail. The trail consists of two parts: a 23 km sand-dune trail and a 4 km mountain trail. The grading is 3 and low-range, high-clearance vehicles are a requirement. The trail is open year-round, but the best time to visit is August and September.
Sand Boarding
The roaring white dunes of the Kalahari are calling. Take up your sandboard (you can rent proper stand-up decks from reception) and head onto those undulating dune fields shimmering in the rays of the Northern Cape sun. Don’t expect tiny mounds, though, as these are some of the bigger dunes you’ll find in South Africa, with a sugary consistency that makes for high-speed runs.
The kids will immediately sprinted to the top of ‘The Dune of Certain Death’ - as some would call it - and with wild whoops they’ll dust-line along a suicide run before tumbling into a tornado of sand spray. There will be a lot of charging up and down the dunes, and howling of ‘Awesome!’ into the wide bowl of the sky.
Hiking
Anything goes, from a 3 km nature trail (with 43 marked plant species) meandering through the centre of the reserve, to short tramps to the various viewpoints overlooking the dune fields. An extended dune hike is one of the best ways to get a grip on this unique ecosystem, but best you go early in the morning, especially if you plan to do this in the searing summer months.
As mentioned, there are no restrictions on walking anywhere in Witsand. Witsand is also known as a photographers paradise, thanks to the crystalline blue of the sky, the wide spaces and the variegated colours of the ever shifting dunes.
Birding Opportunities
Do yourself a favour and go and stand under one of the enormous Sociable weaver nests in Witsand Nature Reserve as dawn unfolds. Close your eyes and listening to the faint scuttling sounds of the birds waking up. This is ‘Twitter’ as it should be, with real-time tweets echoing into the stillness of the semi desert savanna.
The first bird fizzles from one of the grass tunnels, whirring past your head into the faint light of dawn. Another one follows, and then another, like miniature missiles leaving the belly of a giant, organic mother ship, and soon the air is alive with tiny feathered projectiles strafing into the morning chill. Then wander down to the hide, approximately 300 m away from the nest.
The ground-level view of the water hole offers exceptional photographic opportunities, and is a veritable paradise for twitchers. Species to be seen include: Namaqua sandgrouse, Sociable weaver, African pygmy falcon, Secretarybird and Crimson-breasted shrike.