Good news for Cape Town hikers, trails closed due to April fires set to re-open
The South African National Parks (SANParks) said the Tokai and Silvermine East (including Kalk Bay, St James, Muizenberg mountains and the Steenberg Plateau) hiking trails, which are closed, will reopen on July 1.
The trails were closed after a fire in late April burned approximately 2,800 hectares. Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) is currently conducting post-fire hazard removal, clean-up, and rehabilitation in these areas to ensure safety, as fire damage included the destruction of boardwalks and other support structures, which resulted in the exposure of dangerous objects such as nails and metal.
According to SANParks, the Silvermine picnic site and boardwalk around the dam and as well as the riverwalk and other trails, will remain closed as all the infrastructure at Silvermine West has been damaged and the ablution blocks have been burnt down. Infrastructure repairs will take some time, and we will not be able to open the picnic area while there are no toilets.
“SANParks apologises for the inconvenience caused by the closures and appreciates the public’s understanding as we carry out this work. Repair efforts will proceed as speedily as possible, but may be affected by winter weather,” it said.
While some trails may appear unaffected by the fire, SANParks said it is not feasible to reopen certain trails while others remain unsafe.
“Allowing access to specific trails could lead to difficulty controlling which paths people use. Additionally, it is not reasonable to allow access to some user groups, such as mountain bike users, and not others. SANParks also closed Silvermine and Tokai from an ecological perspective, as there has been a flush of vegetation regrowth post the fire. These newly germinated fynbos plants need time to grow without human and dog impacts (e.g., footprints and trampling), potentially disrupting this delicate and sensitive rejuvenation,” it said.
Vegetation regrowth will be assessed and SANParks will determine whether any further closures are restrictions would be needed.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
IOL