Matobo Hills Mountain Bike Trails

The Matobo Hills — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — are a landscape of extraordinary granite domes, balancing boulders and hidden valleys that shelter one of Africa’s highest concentrations of San rock paintings. The national park also contains one of the most successful black and white rhino conservation projects in Africa. Riding here is genuinely multi-dimensional: the geology is spectacular, the wildlife encounters are real, and the history is layered everywhere.

The Trails

The 18km Granite Whaleback Loop navigates the park’s signature terrain — riding over and around the great smooth granite domes (called ‘whaleback’ formations) that give Matobo its character. Technical but not extreme. The 12km Cecil Rhodes Tomb Trail leads to the famous burial site of Cecil Rhodes at ‘World’s View’ — one of the most panoramic viewpoints in southern Africa, atop a massive granite dome. The 22km White Rhino Singletrack passes through the rhino sanctuary — pre-arrange with park management for access.

Getting There

From Bulawayo take the Old Gwanda Road south, then follow signs to Matobo National Park. Total 35km. GPS: -20.5003, 28.4833.

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🌐 Visit Official Trail Website →