Rietpoort Cottage Trail Review: Scenic, Off-Leash, and Totally Boris-Approved

The Dream Duo: Boris & the Spice Human

If you’re new around here, meet Boris—my four-legged hiking pal, and his human. We’ve already tackled a couple of trails together, and this was our third adventure. 

Honestly, the more time I spend with these two, the more I’m hooked.

Boris is basically the K9 equivalent of a hiking influencer—flawless stamina, majestic presence, and a face you can’t say no to.

And his human? She’s funny. Like, my kind of funny - the funny that slips in under the radar and catches you off guard.

Which is why she’s officially earned her spice title: "Basil". Bold, strong, and slightly intense at first—until you realize she’s essential and secretly comforting.

Basil & Boris

The Toll Gate Riddle (Yes, I Went There)

Now, I don’t usually do riddles (too high grade for me—my brain prefers photos over Sudoku). But this one? It had to be done.

Now to the Riddle…

Two drivers set out on a return trip through the same toll gate and somehow end up paying six tolls. combined.

Go ahead, rack your brains… I’ll wait.

Nope? Nothing? Okay....so you see, we (read: me) suggested I leave my car at the Engen Grasmere 1 Stop, From there, I would hitch a ride with Boris and Basil. Perfect plan… or so I thought.

Fast forward to post-hike, sweet, innocent Basil asks me: “So… how exactly are we getting back to the one-stop, which will now be on the other side of the highway?”

And that, dear readers, is when the penny (and the rest of the toll fees) dropped.

Yep. That’s six little “ka-chings” for the privilege of moving ourselves from A to B in circles.

Moral of the story? When I’m in charge of logistics, bring extra cash and lower your expectations..

The Trail: Rietpoort Cottage Review

I’d been itching to hike in the South for a while—just to let the North know they can’t get lazy. Standards, people. If you want me to keep obsessively hiking up there, you’ve got to keep delivering the goods.

But honestly, we all know the North is like the all-you-can-eat buffet of hikes. Everywhere else is just… à la carte.

We set our sights on Rietpoort Cottage near Parys—as it was totally Boris-approved (fully off-lead friendly.)

One quick call earlier in the week confirmed the green light, and another call at the gate got us in.

From the moment we arrived, I was already gushing. The place had all my favourite photo-worthy quirks.

We chose the more inclined trail to finally give Boris a proper workout for a change.

There were inclines: Yes, the dreaded cardio. Enough to bring the heart rate up, but not so bad that you’re drafting a will on the way up. Think “mild suffering with scenic views.”

There were technical bits: Just enough to give you trail cred—like you could casually brag later about “navigating rocky terrain” when really it was a few uneven patches that wouldn’t scare a toddler.

There was variety: Basically a “choose your own adventure” trail . One minute you’re shaded and mysterious in the forest, and the next you’re out in the open pretending the sun isn’t roasting your brain.

And not to forget the bits of water—aka Boris’s personal spa stations.

RATINGS

Trail Information

AREA

Parys

COST

R 50

Trail Details

TRAIL DIFFICULTY

Moderate. Not flat, not brutal—just right. The loose rocks on the declines needed to be taken seriously.

TRAIL LENGTH

We clocked close to 7 km

TRAIL MARKERS

Marked too well. So you’ll always see a color, but you probably won't know which trail you’re actually on.

Confusing? Yes. Can you get lost? Not at all.

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS

Peaceful, quiet, and scenic.

WEATHER CONDITIONS TO CONSIDER

A healthy mix of open sunburn zones and shaded “thank goodness” sections.

ABLUTIONS

SAFE FREE PARKING

AMENITIES

3 different self-catering options. Each one charming in its own way,

WILDLIFE & BIRD LIFE

No major wildlife sightings (at least for us)

NOTE TO SELF

You are not the logistics department. Leave it to literally anyone else. Seriously.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Yes

PET FRIENDLY

Absolutely. Boris would like to personally endorse this message.

ON A FINAL NOTE

So to Boris and Basil—welcome to my madness. Here’s to many more hikes and spice-inspired adventures.

(TO)SOLO OR (NO)SOLO

For me (NO)SOLO