I met Chantay (@taytaytravels) on TikTok. We connected because we both post content about the same niche – travel in South Africa. After communicating for a while, we had the idea of going on a local trip together. That’s how my visit to Mountain Sanctuary Park came about. I’ve answered the most-asked questions I received when I posted about Mountain Sanctuary Park on Instagram (@gophari) and TikTok (gopharitravels).
What is Mountain Sanctuary Park?
Mountain Sanctuary park is a privately-owned South African nature reserve. They emphasise that everyone considering visiting read the rules and regulations first to understand that they are a place of quiet and peace. Their crystal-clear rock pools and rock formations make this location a unique travel destination in South Africa.
Where is Mountain Sanctuary Park?
Mountain Sanctuary Park is located in Magaliesburg which is a short 45-minute drive from Johannesburg – my home city. Magaliesburg is a small-town known for its farms, outdoor activities and vast, quiet landscapes. It’s a great outdoor travel option for a weekend road trip from Joburg.
The majority of the drive to get there from Johannesburg is smooth and easy with one till gate along the route. As you get nearer, the road changes from tar to dirt road which forces you to drive more carefully and slowly.
Day Visitors
So what is the Mountain Sanctuary Park entrance free? There is no day-visitor entrance fee because day visitors are not allowed. Only guests staying at Mountain Sanctuary Park are allowed access to the facilities and rock pools etc. Learn more about the accommodation options below.
Accommodation
There are a number of accommodation types at Mountain Sanctuary Park – cabins, camping sites and caravan sites.
We stayed in a neat, two-bedroom log cabin with one bathroom, a lounge, a kitchen, a covered patio and an outdoor braai area. This is self-catering accommodation, so we came prepared with the meals we would cook and Braai for the duration of our stay.
Have a look at the images below to get an idea of how my cabin room in a cabin looked. It’s simple living, with all of the basics – no aircon.
There is plenty of space outside the log cabin to park your car. We each drove our own cars and there was ample space for both of our cars outside our cabin.
The rock pools
Chantay and I both love outdoor travel most. The rock pools at Mountain Sanctuary Park were the reason we decided to visit. We spent the majority of our time during the day swimming in the cascading rock pools. They flow from one to the other and are naturally formed in different shapes and depths. There are so many that even though we spent an entire afternoon exploring them, we did not get to them all.
I shared a few videos on TikTok (@gopharitravels) of my sliding in and jumping into my favourite rock pool. Click the screenshots below to watch the videos on TikTok.
How cold is the water in the rock pools?
Not cold but not warm either. They are refreshingly cool and enjoyable especially on a hot day and especially after the long hike to get to them.
What to pack
I recommend that you include the following when you pack for your visit:
Comfortable walking/hiking shoes
- A sun hat
- Swimwear
- Braai things (coal/wood, firefighters etc)
- Snacks
- Backpack
- Waterproof sleeve for your phone
- Water bottle
The facilities
There are a number of hiking trails to explore at Mountain Sanctuary Park. A hiking map of Mountain Sanctuary Park is available on their website. We only did one route which is the route that led us to the rock pools. The hike to the rock pools took us about 30minutes to walk and the trail is unfortunately not clearly marked out besides the sign at the start of the hike.
Aside from the hikes, there is a mountain biking route and there is a communal pool with sun loungers beside it. We enjoyed relaxing here as the sun set.
Other things to do in Magaliesburg
You could pair a trip to Mountain Sanctuary Park with a stop at Magaliesburg Canopy Tours. These two destinations are only a 8km (15min drive) apart. Magaliesburg Canopy Tours offer a fun, outdoor zipline experience that takes about 3 hours to complete.
Get in touch if you would like a discounted booking at Magaliesburg CanopyTours: contact@gophari.com.
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I hope this blog post has answered most of your questions. Leave a comment to let me know what questions you may still have.