Kloof Rus Hiking Trail: The Dog-Friendly Trail Where Humans Are Optional
- jeeksparties8
- Aug 7
- 4 min read
So I think by now you all know that hiking changed my life… blah blah, finding my old self, yada yada.
Enter Salt — my second-born who treats boundaries like polite suggestions... to be immediately ignored.
Let’s rewind for a second.
I love dogs.
LOVE dogs.
The full-blown, snot-cry, heart-exploding kind of love.
I’ve had three.
They died.
I never emotionally recovered.
(I’m still not over it. Don’t bring it up.)
Cue 20 years of me firmly saying, “We’re not getting another dog.” Salt countered this with a PhD-level thesis on why we “needed” one. Thus, an emotional stalemate held for two entire decades.
But then, Salt meets Nutmeg — and suddenly he's dating the Dog Whisperer. NOW, just as he’s on the brink of moving out (or should be — honestly, go already), and I’m finally living my best independent life — now he has a narrative:: “You should get a dog, Mom. A HIKING dog.”
Oh, perfect. He’s weaponized a dog.
So of course, he turns up one random Friday night with a literal fluff nugget attached to four paperclip-length legs.
“It’s small,” he says.
“It’s cute,” he says.
“It’ll be a great hiking dog,” he says.
“And it’s mine, don’t worry — you can just be it's granny.” he says
Excuse me. A WHAT? Back right off child. I do not identify as a “granny.” I hike mountains. and use the word “feral” in casual conversation. Grannies bake muffins, cook lasagnas and host brunches with matching placemats.
We are not the same.
Also, let’s get one thing straight — I don’t want a hiking dog.
I want my damn freedom on the trails. I don’t want to be that person frantically Googling “dog-friendly hikes for emotionally manipulated parents of fur balls with legs.”
And this is not the first time. A few months ago, the Dog Whisperer randomly got handed a puppy on the street by a homeless man (because apparently, that’s a thing now??). I didn’t mention it because I swore I wouldn’t get attached.
But, as I called it, repeatedly, he turned into a Shetland pony in under three weeks and had to be relocated to a smallholding roughly the size of a tiny town.
Did I refuse to get attached?
Yes.
Did I sob when he left?
Yes. I cried a whole Bambi’s worth of tears.
So I told Salt — categorically, clearly, with the voice of a woman who has raised humans and buried dogs — NO MORE.
And now I have a dog. Well... he has a dog. I have a very suspicious attachment to it.
Send help.
Or trail maps.
Preferably both.
Back To The Trail.
So, this hike needed to be an easy one. You know — the kind that accommodates first-time hikers with four legs the length of paperclips.
The Tribe? Me, Salt, Nutmeg, her two dogs, Douglas and Daisy, and of course… young Benson, the newly appointed (and utterly unqualified) trail scout.)
I scanned my list and chose Kloof Rus Hiking Trail — described as a "Dog park & Walk/Hiking trail", not ridiculously far, and unlikely to break a paperclip.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a neat little area featuring spotless ablutions, braai facilities, and rustic tables and chairs.
Choosing the Route
The trail host, Karen had WhatsApped us a map (which Salt, my personal Bear Grylls, could decipher). It had three short route options.
Salt was busy debating which one to choose as if the fate of mankind depended on this decision.
I said, “All of them.” He looked horrified. Glanced down at Benson’s paperclip legs like he had just been drafted into military service, and muttered a firm, “No.”
I nodded — the nod of a woman who’s raised humans and has zero time for dramatics — and thought: You brought this fluff nugget into our lives, chop. We’re doing a proper hike. Don’t test me. He’s still cute enough to re-home if necessary (Benson, obviously. Salt? Not so much).
Kloof Rus Trail Vibes: Mother Nature’s Therapy Session
The trail itself? Absolutely outstanding. It’s a massive farm where you can quite literally walk wherever your soul feels like.
The energy is pure heaven — calm, still, and serene. Personally, I was ready to start a new life right there, barefoot and blissed out.
Inclines? Optional.
Flat? Also optional.
It’s like Nature’s version of “Build-A-Trail”
Camping Facilities?
Absolutely!
Mid-hike, we found a rustic toilet nestled in the trees — the kind that whispers, “I’m basically a campsite.” A bench and braai area lounged nearby, casually suggesting, “Stay a while, maybe grill some boerewors.”
Later, Karen confirmed this spot may indeed double as a campsite.
Is it a “Dog Park” or a “Dog-Friendly Hike”?
Google calls Kloof Rus a “dog park.” So naturally, I expected a casual, leash-in-one-hand, coffee-in-the-other kind of stroll.
What I got? A hike. A glorious, wide-open hike.
Anyway....welcome Benson… hmmph..... somehow already running this entire operation.
Trail Ratings
AREA - Krugersdorp
COST
R50 per person (EFT on trust basis — bold lady)
Trail Details:
TRAIL DIFFICULTY
Literally as difficult as you want it to be.
TRAIL LENGTH
1.5 km, 3 km or 5 km.
TIME
Again, your call.
TRAIL MARKERS
You won't get lost
TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS
The peace, and the freedom to roam around in a beautiful setting.
ABLUTIONS
WEATHER CONDITIONS TO CONSIDER
Mostly open, so be prepared in the summer.
FAMILY FRIENDLY?
100%
PET FRIENDLY?
Absolutely
SAFE FREE PARKING?
AMENITIES?
Braai Facilities
Rustic Tables & Chairs
Camping Facilities
From chatting with Karen, it’s clear she has big plans. More features, more facilities — she’s got the “watch this space” energy going.
WILDLIFE & BIRD LIFE?
I read afterwards that there’s wildlife on the property. We saw none, but we did spot two horse riders trotting gracefully in the distance.
NOTE TO SELF
You’re now sort of a dog owner. Resistance is futile.
(TO)SOLO OR (NOSOLO)?
Would I hike Kloof Rus solo? Trail difficulty-wise, no problem. But it was eerily quiet — “I could scream and no one would hear me” levels of quiet.
So from a “sketchy human encounter” perspective, it might not be the safest solo mission unless you’ve done your homework or have no anxiety at all.
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