Otter Trail hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Otter Trail is South Africa's best-known coastal hike and one of its oldest: it opened in 1968. It follows the Tsitsikamma coast of the Garden Route National Park for 5 days and 4 nights, from Storms River Mouth in the Eastern Cape to Nature's Valley in the Western Cape. You walk on cliff tops, through coastal forest and over boulder beaches, and cross a river mouth almost every day. You sleep in four SANParks hut camps: Ngubu, Scott, Oakhurst and André. Only 12 hikers may start each day, there is no guide, and a booking is compulsory.

The route

The trail starts at the Otter Room by the Storms River Mouth entrance. A hikers-only path drops to the sea at George's Bay and joins the Waterfall Trail to a waterfall and cave, then reaches Ngubu Hut after a short first day. Day 2 climbs to the plateau, about 200 m above the sea, passes the quartz outcrop of Skilderkrans and crosses the Kleinbos River to Scott Hut. Day 3 crosses the Elandsbos River to Oakhurst Hut at the Lottering River mouth. Day 4 is the long one: it ends with the Bloukrans River crossing, which must be timed for low tide, and a last climb to André Hut above the Klip River mouth. Day 5 crosses the plateau and descends to the beach at Nature's Valley. The walk ends with check-out at De Vasselot, the Nature's Valley Rest Camp.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 5 stages, about 7.6 km each.

42 or 45 km? SANParks gives both figures. Its web page lists the last day as 10.8 km, and the five days then add up to 45 km. Its printed trail map gives the last day as 6.8 km, to the Groot River mouth on Nature's Valley beach, and the total is then about 42 km. The extra 4 km is the beach and village walk to the rest camp for check-out. Our mapped line measures about 38 km because it smooths the rock-hopping and zigzags.

Highlights

• The waterfall on day 1: a waterfall and a cave above a rocky cove, then tidal pools at Ngubu
• Skilderkrans: a quartz outcrop high above the sea where dolphins and, in season, whales are often seen
• The river mouths: Kleinbos, Elandsbos, Lottering and Bloukrans, each one a crossing and a swim
• André Hut: known for its sunsets over the Klip River mouth
• Nature's Valley: a long, empty beach and lagoon at the finish

When to walk the Otter Trail

The trail is open all year. The Tsitsikamma coast is mild, but it rains in every month, and heavy rain can flood the rivers. December and Easter sell out first. In winter the days are short and the sea can be rough, which makes the river mouths harder to cross. Whatever the season, the tide sets the timing of day 4.

Booking and permits

You can only walk the Otter Trail with a SANParks booking for a fixed start date. SANParks opens bookings 11 months ahead, on the 1st working day of each month, and the trail sells out almost at once, so plan about a year ahead. Small groups with flexible dates often find space through cancellations.

SANParks lists the trail at R2,097 per person for 2025–26. The 2024–25 tariff list gave R1,823, so confirm your quote when you book. The fee covers four nights in the huts. You also pay a 1% community levy and daily conservation fees, unless you hold a Wild Card. From 1 November 2026 these fees are R85 a day at Storms River Mouth for South African adults and R422 for international visitors.

Hikers must be 12 to 65 years old. Every hiker must bring the SANParks medical certificate, completed, signed and stamped by a registered doctor, and a signed indemnity form. You cannot start without them. Check in at the Otter Room at Storms River Mouth, where packs are weighed and you watch a 20-minute trail video. Check-out at De Vasselot in Nature's Valley is compulsory.

Tides and river crossings

Getting a tide table is your job. The Elandsbos and Bloukrans rivers are the tide-sensitive ones. The Bloukrans is about 10 km and 4.5 hours from Oakhurst. Aim to reach it before low tide and cross within about an hour of it, which often means leaving Oakhurst before sunrise. Spring tides around full and new moon give the lowest water. Pack everything in dry bags and never cross alone. If the river is too high or the sea is rough, take escape route E6. It leaves the trail just before the descent to the river: climb to the plateau and wait there for the rangers. Do not try to walk to the N2.

Getting there and away

Storms River Mouth is off the N2, about 2 hours by car from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) airport and about 2.5 hours from George airport. There is free, safe parking for Otter Trail hikers at both ends. The road between Nature's Valley and Storms River Mouth is about 40 km and passes the N2 toll plaza. Most hikers leave a car at each end or book a shuttle back to the start; private transfers also run from both airports. Most hikers sleep at the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp the night before.

Huts, food and water

Each stop has two 6-bed huts with mattresses, one toilet, a braai area with firewood (often damp) and rainwater tanks, but no electricity. Bring a sleeping bag, gas stove, pots and five days of food. Do not drink from the Kleinbos River, and carry purification tablets.

Difficulty

The days are short, but the trail is harder than the numbers suggest. Every day ends at sea level, so you climb out of each river valley and drop back down on steep, rooty and muddy paths. There are boulder beaches to hop and rock ledges, and some river crossings can be waist-deep. Day 4, at about 14 km with the Bloukrans crossing, is the crux. A good level of fitness and a light pack make a big difference.

Money and phone signal

There is no ATM at Storms River Mouth; the rest camp has a small shop and a restaurant. There is no phone signal on the trail. You find signal at the top of the escape routes, so save the ranger numbers before you start.

What to pack

• A light sleeping bag, a pillow, a gas stove, pots and five days of food
• Dry bags or a pack liner for the river crossings, and a survival bag or thermal blanket
• A first aid kit, purification tablets, sunscreen and a headlamp
• A rain jacket, a warm layer, shoes that grip on wet rock, a tide table and a power bank

Safety

In an emergency call 112 from a mobile, or the SANParks rangers: +27 72 917 5079 for days 1 to 4 and +27 72 917 4474 for days 5 to 6. Use the escape routes only in an emergency, and wait at the top for collection. Do not swim in rough sea: rip currents are strong along this coast. The nearest full emergency department is Mediclinic in Plettenberg Bay, about 40 minutes by road from Nature's Valley and an hour from Storms River Mouth.