SPIOENKOP GAME RESERVE - ACTIVITIES

 
The reserve offers a variety of recreational opportunities to visitors. Power Boating is popular with ideal conditions for skiing, prevailing for most of the year. Slipways are situated in the picnic sites. Jet skis are not permitted.  

 Yachting is practised on the dam but the calm conditions have precluded the dam from being a successful venue for yacht racing. Picnic Sites are situated on the dam shore to accommodate day visitors. Fishing is popular with the main species being barbel and carp. Carcasses are put out periodically to attract vultures.

The Discovery Trail is available to visitors and is situated on the wooded slopes of the south shore of the dam in an area which is free of dangerous game. It is split into a 3 kilometre or 6 kilometre loop. A booklet on the trail is available with information on the Iron Age sites which are fairly common in the area.

Bird watching is popular with a bird list in excess of 290 species. The Discovery trail generally provides a rewarding experience for patient enthusiasts. The Battlefield and Museum provide an additional aspect to visitors who are interested in history. The Battle of Spioenkop is infamous and the battle site on the top of Spioenkop Mountain is accessible by road. A booklet on the battle is available as is a brochure on the self guided trail of the Battlefield. The museum is situated in the administrative complex. A visit to the battlefield is a rewarding experience even to those who are not interested in history as the panorama from the summit provides spectacular views over the dam to the Drakensberg Mountains to the south and across the plains to Ladysmith to the north. Horse Trails through the reserve, where game is abundant, provides the adventurous with close-up views of a variety of game including giraffe, and encounters with white rhino. This is the best way to see game in the wild as animals are far less tolerant of people on foot. This is an experience not to be missed.

Hunting packages are offered each year and operate out of Iphika Bush Camp. The animals allocated form part of the programme to balance the sex ratios of the various game populations.