Rosewood Trails – Maps Are Overrated

So there we were—Paprika and I—finally hiking together again after what felt like a century (or, you know, late last year).

For those unfamiliar, Paprika is my glamorous, CrossFit-addicted Energizer Bunny with the attention span of a caffeinated squirrel. She doesn’t hike; she launches. No warm-up, no plan, no mercy.

This meant we needed somewhere low-key. Lodgy, if you will. Paprika’s not here for those “summit or suffer” Magaliesburg vibes. No, no—Paprika hikes like she lives: spontaneously, speedily, and generally off-trail, because following marked paths is for weirdos.

But more importantly, I needed terrain that allowed me to keep up—or at the very least, reign her in before she sprinted off into the next province.

So off to my ever-growing, mostly-unverified hiking list I went—and there it was: Rosewood Trail. It sounded perfect. Close-ish, scenic, and totally doable (read: Paprika-proof, chaos-compatible, and minimal risk of actual mountaineering).

The chaos began the second we stepped out of the car. We wandered aimlessly for a hot minute—looking for a reception, a sign, a payment point? Who knows. Eventually, Paprika spotted a gate and decided this was the starting point, so off we went.

First impressions? Bleh. Giving strong “summer has left the chat” and winter is about to join vibe. I was ready to write the whole place off , but then—eventually—we stumbled onto a golf course (unclear if this was legal), and suddenly the scenery did a 180.

Picture-perfect greens, little dams sparkling in the sun, and actual buck just chilling like they were strategically placed there for dramatic effect. At one point, we saw something that could have been a squirrel … or a squirrel-adjacent mystery creature. Hard to say. We applauded its energy either way.

Did we stick to a trail? Absolutely not. Did we care? Also no. We zig-zagged between golf fairways and trails like we owned the place. Paprika, being gorgeous, can basically trespass without consequences. I just acted like I was her personal assistant and hoped for the best.

Somehow, through this very unstructured process, we clocked 10 km, had an amazing day, and discovered that Rosewood is actually beautiful.

We rounded it all off with breakfast at one of the charming little cafes onsite—great coffee, delicious food, and great service.

That’s also when we found the real start to the trail. Yep. We started at the end. Obviously. Apparently, there are THREE different trails. You know, for people who read signs and plan things.

Perfect for anyone in or around Pretoria (or willing to take a mini road trip) who’s craving a chilled, scenic escape. Ideal for a low-effort, high-reward kind of day—especially if you’ve got a kid or two in tow. There’s nature, space to roam, and just enough surprise wildlife to keep things interesting.

Would I go back? 100%. Next time, I might even try to follow the actual trail.

(Just kidding. Probably not.)

RATING

AREA - Pretoria

COST 

We paid nothing. Possibly illegal. Possibly a win. Please don’t arrest us—we were doing our best.

DIFFICULTY 

Easy. Unless you count the challenge of not knowing where you’re going.

LENGTH 

Unclear. Our chaos route clocked in at 10 km. From the sign (which we found at the end), there is a 2.3 km, 3.6 km and 2.4 km trail. Obviously one can do all 3 for a longer walk.

MARKERS 

There may have been some. But again, we are not those kinds of people.

HIGHLIGHTS 

Scenic lakes. Bambi’s cousins casually grazing on the golf course. Paprika being Paprika.

THE ACTUAL TRAILS....

ABLUTIONS

SAFE FREE PARKING

AMENITIES 

While I can’t give you a full directory, I can confirm there’s at least one cute café (we saw another lurking in the background), and a fresh food market that gave proper wholesome weekend vibes. Also it serves as an event venue, complete with lapas.

NOTE TO SELF

You found another low-key, relaxed, suburban gem. Definitely one for the “oops, we loved it” list.

(TO)SOLO OR (NO)SOLO

Definitely SOLO-able once you figure out where you’re going. Maybe drop breadcrumbs.