Crystal Pools
ModerateSteenbras
Main risk: slips and fallsAt a glance
Distance
7 km return
Time
3–4 hr
Elevation gain
300 m
Summit
260 m
Permit-only — 50 hikers a day, pre-booked; there is no day-of entry. Cliff-jumping injuries at the pools are a recurring rescue pattern — check depth first, or stay out. No shade on the first climb.
Know before you go
- Book by emailing the Steenbras reserve office at least two working days ahead — weekends and December sell out fast.
- The pools are cold, deep and unsupervised.
- Season runs 1 November to 30 April; the trail is closed through winter.
If you need help
Jump injuries and heat exhaustion dominate callouts, and extractions from the gorge are slow — often a helicopter job. The river rises fast after rain.
Emergency exit
Back down the main path to the R44 — there is no other way out of the gorge.
Cell reception
Weak in the gorge. Reasonable on the open slopes above the R44.
Start point
Old pumphouse gate on Faure Marine Drive (R44), just south of Gordon's Bay
Parking: Verge parking at the trailhead on the R44 — leave nothing visible in the car.
Elevation profile
Peak
260 m
Total ascent
300 m
Trail length
7 km
Best time of year
Open 1 November to 30 April only. Midsummer heat on the exposed first climb is brutal — start early.
Water sources
Treat or filter before drinking — never trust a stream raw.
Steenbras River
Year-round
The pools themselves. Treat before drinking.
Tell someone where you are going
Share your plan with a friend or family member before you set off.
Last reviewed July 2026
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