Prime View Adventure & Leisure: A Great Off-Lead “Default Hike”

A few months ago, Prime View was the chosen trail for Pepper (my son), Benson (tiny fluffball with peg-height legs) and me.

We needed something short, manageable (for tiny legs), and forgiving (for the uncertain weather).

Prime View delivered exactly that - no drama, no grandeur, just a walk.

Purpose served.

Same Trail, Different Cast

Fast forward to this visit. This time it was me, my hiking bud Basil, and her off-lead king of canines, Boris.

The original plan? The longer trail.

The reality? The weather, which lately seems committed to chaos, had other ideas.

So… Prime View it was.

Friendly Staff

We were greeted by the same warm, friendly staff I remembered from last time - always a win.

The lady at reception warned us the trails were very wet and muddy.

I mean… yes.

It had rained. A lot.

We might not look like geniuses, but rain leading to mud wasn’t a mystery.

Basil accepted she might get wet.

Boris accepted nothing except that it was time to go.

Prime View As A Trail

Prime View is a massive green space plonked in the middle of Olifantsfontein.

It has a dam and very little in the way of jaw-dropping aesthetics.

You won’t find dramatic cliffs or waterfalls here.

What you will find is space.

Space to walk.

Space to chat.

Space to decide exactly how long you want to be out before coffee becomes urgent.

When Confidence Exceeds Reality

Boris immediately charged ahead like this was his ancestral land. Confident. Regal. Unperturbed.

Along the way, we met two ladies who warned us that the trail became completely waterlogged and that they had turned back.

Basil and I scoffed internally.

Turn back? Absolutely not.

We were trailblazers.

Warriors.

Women who laugh in the face of puddles.

We pushed on and hit a muddy patch.“

“I knew it?” I thought smugly. “A little dramatic.”

And then… we reached the spot.

Not a puddle.

Not mud.

A full-on wetland.

"The Wetland"

I briefly hoped Boris would offer to ferry us across on his back - one at a time, obviously, we’re not savages.

But Boris had other priorities.

With no heroic canine transport forthcoming, we had no choice but to retreat.

Dignified? No.

Necessary? Yes.

The Smell That Lingered Longer

Somewhere during our retreat, Boris - normally impeccably shiny, groomed, and magazine-cover perfect - decided to roll enthusiastically in something that had very clearly died. Twice.

He completed the rest of the trail smelling aggressively… putrid.

We will excuse this lapse in standards.

Once.

We backtracked and looped onto the shorter route I’d done previously with Pepper.

We had to climb through a fence, as the trail had been closed off....but seriously, what is a hike without a little break-in-and-bushwhack maneuver?

Despite everything (mostly Boris’s questionable eau de trail), we still managed a lovely morning.

Because that’s what Prime View does. It won’t take your breath away - but it works.

And yes, it started spitting toward the end, and the heavens opened just as we were living our best cappuccino lives at the coffee shop.

Universe… noted. Thank you. Again.

RATINGS

Trail Information

AREA

Olifantsfontein

COST

R 35

Trail Details

TRAIL DIFFICULTY

Easy and flat

TRAIL LENGTH

Lots of options, we did 7.5 km

TRAIL MARKERS

...ish. You'll survive

WEATHER CONDITIONS TO CONSIDER

Completely open - no shade mercy

ABLUTIONS

SAFE FREE PARKING

AMENITIES

Cycling , running and walking trails

Aqua Park ·

Canoes

Slides & Pools

Fishing 

Coffee Shop

NOTE TO SELF

Warnings are not a personal challenge.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Absolutely

PET FRIENDLY

Definitely

ON A FINAL NOTE

Perfect for iffy weather days, suburban escapes, default hikes, low-effort nature fixes, family outings, and off-lead kings like Boris.

(TO)SOLO OR (NO)SOLO

(TO) SOLO