Rooisand Nature Reserve is an 8.2km lightly trafficked loop trail located between Kleinmond and Fisherhaven, that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and bird watching.
Gate times: Sunrise to Sunset
For as long as the older Kleinmond residents can remember, there have been Wild Horses in the vlei (wetlands) between the present parking area in the Rooisand Reserve and the river mouth at Kleinmond. This is a distance of about 6kms and the group of free roaming, feral horses use this area as their grazing grounds. They never venture outside the wetland and the adjacent dunes, and they can be seen either from the tarred road, or more closely observed, if one walks along the beach towards Fisherhaven.
Their existence has given rise to a number of fanciful theories and romantic tales about their origins. One of these is that they are the descendants of horses hidden from the British Army during the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902). According to Dr. van der Merwe, however, who has been observing the horses for the past 30-odd years, they appear to be a unique sub-group of the erstwhile Cape Horse of the 18th and 19th centuries, called Boland Waperd, which were farm horses used for ploughing, hoeing and pulling wagons and carts. They are therefore of significant historical importance, and according to ecologists, they have an important role as large herbivores, living in the swampy estuary of the Bot River.
Here they fulfil a useful role in the wetland ecology as large animals who feed on a variety of edible plants species, and who tread footpaths through the reed beds, thus assisting in keeping the waterways open.
Please note that there is no guarantee that you will see the wild horses as they roam freely in a large area, some of which is dense.
Once you have completed the trail, it is recommended that you also check out the bird hide down the boardwalk from the parking. (The horses have also been spotted there before)
Note: The walking paths can be quite waterlogged in the rainy season so be prepared to get wet - ankle deep.
Note: The sand road in from the main road can be tricky, and while it can be accessed by any vehicle, caution should be exercised after lots of rain as large puddles form.