Hazeldean Valley Hike: Flat, Shady, and Just Enough to Earn That Coffee

So, off I went with my new hiking buddy,

Paprika. Yes, Paprika. Why? Because if I’m dragging someone out for a hike on a Saturday morning, they at least deserve a spicy alias,

She has the sunny disposition of Oregano but with the ADD/OCD combo that my other hiking bud, Chili, is famous for. And no, this is not an insult—I’m basically Paprika, minus the sunny disposition.

Our destination: Hazeldean Valley Bushveld Trail, a spot Google firmly insists is in Mooiplaas. I say it's in Pretoria, because who has time to debate imaginary suburb boundaries on a Saturday morning? Same general area, give or take, right?

Another one of those shaded hikes listed on my trustee excel spreadsheet.

We had big plans. Or, at least, I did: get in a nice 5 to 8 km hike, get my "outdoorsy" merit badge, and still make it back in time for this thing I had to attend at 2 pm.

Honestly, if people are going to invite me to things, they should know the "personal time" policy: weekdays are for work, weekends are for hiking. Simple, right? So let’s all respect the sacred order of *&^%$ “things”!

Back to the trail! We showed up bright and... well, not as early as I would’ve liked, with Paprika probably wondering what brand of wilderness nonsense she’d been signed up for. Typically, a coffee or snack stop would be in order, but not on this day. I made it abundantly clear: no time for extras.....I had a *&^% "thing"!!!

There were so many options, but we chose the flat, swift and shady for this day. And yes, true to it's word, it was flat, it was shaded, and it did wind its way around some trees and a stream. Scenic-ish, I’ll call it. A fair amount of zigzagging to try trick us, but not a bad choice if you need a quick nature fix without too much commitment.

In fairness, Hazeldean has some longer trails that might really amp up the wow-factor. And yes, I’m definitely going back for those longer loops—ideally when there’s zero chance of me being called back to “real life” before sundown.

RATING

AREA -  Let’s just go with Pretoria

COST - R 50

DIFFICULTY - We chose easy

LENGTH - 8 km

TIME - 1 1/2 hours

ELEVATION -  58 m

MARKERS - Great

HIGHLIGHTS 

Shady trees, winding stream, relatively quick escape from the city

ABLUTIONS - Fabulous

SAFE FREE PARKING

AMENITIES 

It offers mountain bike, trail running, and hiking trails, and various places of refreshment. People can enjoy some time out of the city right on the doorstep of Pretoria.

ON A FINAL NOTE

Roughly 60 km of track, with three main loops starting and ending at the Cowhouse, so you can mix and match your route for an extended hike.

Hazeldean is practically on Pretoria’s doorstep and offers the ideal mix of nature without full commitment. So if you’re looking for a bit of fresh air and exercise without the “adventure of a lifetime,” this is certainly an option.