Vogelgat is strictly a private nature reserve. We have a limited number of 300 members. Our annual membership runs from 1 September through to 31 August of every year. Membership can be arranged when vacancies occur.
A member is entitled to hike with a maximum party of 10 per day. 3 overnight facilities are free. All you have to take along is your sleeping bag and food. Pot, pans, plates, knives forks, beds with covered mattresses and gas are found in the huts.
For a small additional subscription, one can hike in Cape Nature’s Maanschynkop Nature Reserve. The highest peak reaching 963m, Guys Pool a natural infinity pool and Leopard Camp, an overnight cabin. Only members of Vogelgat can hike in this wilderness region.
Vogelgat Nature Reserve lies only 125km east of Cape Town, it makes hiking and overnighting within easy reach for many of the members. The waterfalls and unique vistas are two of the many attractions to its members. The late Dr. Ion Williams bought the property in 1969 and had the vision to restore this alien vegetation-ridden fynbos land to its former beauty. With his ingenuity and a band of dedicated hard-working friends, all the aliens were removed and the fynbos responded by unveiling an unsurpassed array of floral splendour. The reserve constitutes 600 ha in extent, with 35km of breathtaking hiking trails, vistas of Walker Bay and Kleinmond, waterfalls, plunge pools, majestic gorges and awesome Cape Fold Mountains. Over 900 plant species have their home in Vogelgat, 17 of them threatened. The fynbos is always filled with plants displaying their attractive forms throughout the year. Four overnight huts are hidden from each other to provide the hiker with an extended stay in which to rejuvenate his spirit. All huts are equipped with gas cookers, paraffin lanterns, bunk beds and mattresses, forks, knives and plates. Therefore all you need is your sleeping bag and food to equip you to explore the mystery of the mountains. The reserve boasts 112 bird species including a breeding pair of black eagles, baboons, klipspringer, porcupines, otters and the elusive leopard