Kalahari Red Dune Route

🏔️ TRAIL CONDITIONS TODAY

Updated 2 hours ago · 🗺️ Northern Cape (province average)

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33°C

Clear skies · Good riding

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Perfect Conditions

Great day to ride — dry trails and clear skies.

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The Kalahari Red Dune Route is the Northern Cape at its most raw and remote — riding through the classic landscape of the southern Kalahari, where red sand dunes covered with camel thorn acacia march north toward Botswana in long parallel ridges, separated by compacted inter-dune corridors of calcrete gravel that provide riding surfaces alternating between firm hard-pack and loose, wheel-grabbing red sand.

What to Expect

This is not groomed trail riding — the dune tracks are informal, the distances between water points are significant (carry minimum 4 litres per hour of riding), and the terrain requires a capable mountain bike with 2.2 inch or wider tyres for the sand sections. A fat bike is the ideal tool in the dune terrain. The rewards are extraordinary: the deep red of the dunes against a cobalt Kalahari sky, gemsbok running alongside the tracks, meerkat colonies watching from burrow mounds, and the complete absence of other humans that characterises the deep Kalahari between the small villages.

Critical note: The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park itself — the adjacent cross-border national park — is NOT accessible by bicycle. Free-roaming lions, leopards and cheetahs make cycling inside the park boundary extremely dangerous, and SANParks does not permit it. The dune routes described here are on public roads and private farm land outside the park boundary — confirm the boundary before riding any route in this area.

Getting There

Andriesvale and Askham are reached from Upington via Groblershoop and the R360 north (approximately 280-300km on gravel road). GPS for Andriesvale: -26.5667, 20.7833. High clearance vehicle essential — road conditions vary significantly after rain. Fuel at Andriesvale or Askham before riding.

Trail Overview

📍 Location	Andriesvale or Askham, Kalahari, Northern Cape (near Kalahari Tented Camp)
📏 Total Distance	varieskm of trails
⚡ Difficulty	Moderate to Difficult
🚵 Discipline	MTB
🛤️ Trail Type	Kalahari Dune Track, Inter-dune Gravel Corridor
🪨 Surface	Loose red Kalahari sand on dune faces — compacted inter-dune corridor tracks — some hard-packed calcrete sections — fat bike or wide tyre MTB (2.2+ inches) strongly recommended
🕐 Opening Hours	Kalahari Tented Camp (Askham — accommodation — book in advance),Mata Mata Gate (Kgalagadi Park — camping and gate accommodation — note cycling inside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park NOT permitted — predators),Upington (300km — nearest city with full services),Andriesvale village (basic supplies)
🏘️ Nearest Town	Classic red Kalahari dune riding in South Africa’s most remote cycling terrain — inter-dune corridors of compacted calcrete alternating with soft red sand faces, camel thorn woodland, open grass plains and close encounters with Kalahari gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest and bat-eared fox.

Trail Listings

Trail Name	Distance	Difficulty
Andriesvale Red Dune Trail	varies	Difficult (informal — red Kalahari dune riding from Andriesvale toward the Nossob Valley — loose red sand and compacted inter-dune corridors — Kalahari game on open plains)
Askham Dune Circuit	varies	Moderate-Difficult (from Askham on dune corridor gravel tracks — camel thorn woodland and open red sand — excellent wildlife viewing)

Permits & Costs

Cost: Free on public roads and state land. Some inter-dune tracks cross private Kalahari farms — seek permission or join guided Kalahari cycling tours.
Where to buy: Year-round during daylight. Best May-September. Carry minimum 4 litres of water — no refill points on dune routes.

Amenities & Facilities

May to September. Kalahari dune riding is spectacular in autumn when the Kalahari bush is in seed. Winter nights are very cold (-10C). Avoid December-January — temperatures 45C+.

Contact & Getting There

Address: Andriesvale or Askham, Kalahari, Northern Cape (near Kalahari Tented Camp)
GPS: -26.5667, 20.7833
Website: https://www.experiencenortherncape.com

Best Time to Ride: Andriesvale (base) | Askham (25km) | Upington (300km)

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