Homtini Mountain Bike Trails

Homtini does not quite boast the full range of mountain-biking experiences that the Harkerville trails do, but it nonetheless offers an exhilarating 19km circular ride through the tranquil Homtini Forest. The trail traverses the steep mountain slopes overlooking the town of Knysna, so you can be certain of pan­oramic views of both the forested slopes and dramatic river gorge.

Kick off from the Krisjan-se-Nek picnic site to climb along Millwood Road for about 400m before hitting a sharp right into Pomp-se-pad. You will be on this forest track for approximately 3km making your way through magnificent indigenous forest before branching off to the right and into Deurpad, a forest slip-path.

This section of the route becomes ‘single track’ and has some exhilarating descents that will take you from the forest straight into the plantations for approximately 1km which leads to a sharp left and descends down towards the Lawnwood River. Take this opportunity to refill your water bottle or take a refreshing dip.

The road from the river starts with a long climb back up to Portland Height, where you will be rewarded with the most spectacular views of this area. The trail from here is quite leisurely, take your time to enjoy the remarkable views of this area before re-entering the forest again at the 14km mark along the Boer-se-pad which is also “single track”.

At the 18km mark, the trail will rejoin itself at Millwood road, which heads back to Krisjan-se-nek.

All in all, this is an exceptional ride, but be aware of the brutal climb and a few tight, technical sections along the descent.

Permit: R35 per person for adults and R18 per person for children under the age of 13. Permits available from Thesen Island Office or the Goudveld Entrance gate.

Contact

Goudveld Forestry Station – 044 389 0129
Thesen Island Office – 044 302 5600
Goudveld Entrance – 044 356 90