Tokai Forest MTB Trails Mountain Biking Trails

TokaiMTB trails are situated in the Southern Section of the Table Mountain National Park which is recognised globally for its flora. The trails have existed in one form or another since the 1990’s.

TokaiMTB trails cater for every age and skill level provided that you select the appropriate trails for your skill and fitness level. Safety is key and we highly recommend that new or returning MTB riders attend a skills course and/or ride Tokai with a person who is familiar with the trails initially. That said, if you plan your ride using trailforks you should be able to easily select a route and descending tracks that suit your abilities. Study the trail descriptions and familiarize yourself with the grading system (we use the IMBA trail grading system) The easiest trails you will find at Tokai apart from the Green graded jeep tracks are “ Fairy Garden”, “Puff Adder”, “Lizard” and the lower section of “Vasbyt”. Remember that even on these trails you may encounter trail features like rock gardens, tight corners and technical climbs.

Most of the single track descents are graded ‘Blue” and can be quite technical in places with rock gardens, tricky corners, avoidable trail features and high speeds at times.

If you are fit and technically competent with the appropriate bike, by all means try the ‘Black” graded tracks. These tend to be steeper, rock filled and peppered with jumps, drops and steep loose sections.

We recommend that appropriate safety gear is worn at all times at TokaiMTB. A quality helmet and gloves are the bare minimum. For the more technical trails and downhill tracks, a full face helmet and knee pads are highly recommended.

Tokai Trail Layout: ( Please refer to the map if in any doubt) All the singletrack trails at Tokai are accessed via the network of jeep tracks ( fire roads) that hark back to the days when Tokai was a pine plantation.These are referred to as the the Main Jeep Track, Level 1 Jeep Track, Level 2 Jeep Track, Level 3 Jeep Track, Level 4 Jeep Track and Level 5 Jeep Track.These are shown in mauve on the map. The colour does not denote the trail grade but is purely to identify them as access routes to the single track trails. You will also note one red coloured trail at Tokai. This is the Double Black Diamond, DHO. Do not be deceived, the colour of the trail on the map denotes that it is graded harder than Black Diamond. For obvious reasons it would be impossible to differentiate this from other Single Black Diamond graded tracks which are shown in black, hence the use of red.

The Jeep Track ascent starts to the left at the end of the tar road from the picnic site/car park. Pass through the pedestrian gate and follow the jeep track, keeping to the right as it heads gently uphill for the first few hundred meters. Remember to obey signage to avoid straying into areas not open for mountain biking. Keep your eyes peeled for the start and exits of the various single track trails shown on the map. These trails are signposted but in accordance with National Park regulations these are quite small and don’t jump out at you.

For the fit rider looking for great views, the jeep track route to the summit of Constantiaberg, “The Mast” offers over 900m of climbing in a 26km return ride. Use trailforks to plan your ride.

For riders who are comfortable on single track and want to get a taste of what TokaiMTB offers, it's a short but sharp climb to level 2 and the start of “Vasbyt” a flowy Blue trail with various features and some pedaling towards the end. This is a great trail to session, i.e ride back up and repeat

For the “shredders” the DH line from DH0 to DH4 provides neverending entertainment. DH3 starts next door to Vasbyt, with a table top and step down jump line complete with gaps and high speed berms. To reach the others, more effort is required.
Never forget that you are riding in a National Park and respect the environment. Also remember that TokaiMTB is home to poisonous snakes like the Cape Cobra and Puff Adder. These animals are not at all interested in humans and do their best to avoid us. Please do the same.

You will also encounter the local troop of baboons at TokaiMTB. These intelligent creatures are generally not aggressive and the only negative interactions with humans occur when food is involved. Please do not feed them and they will ignore you, sometimes passing you in close proximity. Do not be alarmed. They are quite comfortable with bikes and people but do sometimes relax on the trails or the lip of a jump.

Personal safety: As with all areas in the National Park, there are sometimes incidents of crime on the mountain. TokaiMTB has been the scene of criminal incidents in the past but since introducing a visible patrol presence on weekends and certain week days, there have been no incidents for around two years. We recommend that you ride in a group and always carry, as a minimum, a spare tube and a pump or inflator Please report suspicious activity to us via [email protected] or use our emergency number 087 0590000.

This number is also your ticket to assistance should you or a buddy crash and injure themselves. While we cannot offer medical treatment, we are able to contact the necessary services and direct them to your location. We will in cases of minor injury where the rider can be moved, transport you off the mountain subject to availability of our trail vehicle.

Please also understand that MTB is a hazardous activity, an action sport, which can result in serious, sometimes life altering injuries. Please ride within your limits and seek skills training if you are new to the sport or wish to push your limits on our trails.

Finally, please support our TokaiMTB trail association. It costs R400 per annum and allows us to build and maintain the trails at TokaiMTB. None of the money taken by the National Park for permit fees finds its way back into the trails. Find us at www.tokaimtb.co.za.

Ride safe and enjoy the TokaiMTB trails.