Highmoor Nature Reserve

Highmoor Nature Reserve nestles in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park's Central Region and is bordered by Kamberg and Lotheni to the South and Giants Castle to the North.

Highmoor forms part of the Mkhomazi Wilderness Area and is approximately 15 000 hectares in extent and boasts a huge array of rare, endemic and endangered species.  Visitors to Highmoor return again and again as there is an incredible sense of freedom emanating from the wide landscapes of mountains, grasslands and streams.

Highmoor possesses seven tastefully concealed campsites which are reputed to be both the highest and quaintest campsites in KwaZulu-Natal. The communal ablution block is equiped with hot and cold showers and flush toilets. As you can imagine, Highmoor does get cold, very cold, so do come prepared.

Highmoor also offers some of the countries' most exciting fly fishing. To ensure the sustainability of SA's wildest trout, we implement two control measures. There are two closed seasons, the 19th of December to the 28th of February and the 1st of July to the 31st of August. The open fishing seasons are from the 1st of March to the 30th of June and from the 1st of September to the 18th of December. If you are lucky enough to fish the dams you'll see just how well these closed seasons work.

The other control measure is the limitation of anglers to six at any one time on all three dams. It is recommended that you bring your float tube as the surrounding terrain is not forgiving on those who are novices. Our record so far is a trout weighing in at 5.5 kg's which was caught in 1998 from Salmo Dam. 

Hiking Trails at Highmoor Nature reserve

Two caves are available for overnighting in the mountains. The first is Aasvoelkrantz which is a double story cave that has a permanent supply of water throughout the year. Aasvoelkrantz is approximately and hour and a half walk from the car park. Caracal cave overlooks the Ncibidwane river and Giants Castle. This cave unfortunately only has readily available water in the Summer months. Caracal is approximately 2 hours walk from the car park.

The area also boasts excellent rock art sites, which can be visited by arrangement, accompanied by a guide. A good example is Fulton Rock which makes a lovely round trip of 5 hours.

Accommodation near Highmoor

• The Antbear Guest house - Affordable accommodation near Giants Castle, Kamberg and Highmoor in the Central Drakensberg Mountains
• Engeleni Lodge and Mayfly Cottage - Lodge accommodation and self catering accommodation in the Kamberg Valley
• Glengarry Park - Self Catering Chalets and Caravan Park in the Kamberg Valley