Tsitsikamma hiking routes re-opened after floods

ll hiking trails in the Tsitsikamma region of the Garden Route National Park have been re-opened.

All hiking trails in the Tsitsikamma region of the Garden Route National Park have been re-opened, following floods in the area last week, News24 reports.

All the cycling routes, most picnic areas, hiking routes and other activities are operating normally again.

The initial flooding occurred on September 1, when the Grootriver in Nature's Valley came down heavily, flooding the entire Nature's Valley Camp in less than three hours. 

SANParks issued an emergency statement for the Garden Route National Park at the time, urging all hikers and visitors to the park not to cross fast flowing rivers in the forestry areas of the Park.

Ranger teams in Tsitsikamma are still monitoring some of the hardest hit areas such as Gouna, Goudveld and a picnic site in Jubilee Creek, but the areas are now open to the public. 

Both river mouths in the Wilderness section of the Park - Touws River and Swartvlei - are currently open and water is expected to subside in the week to come.