Modderfontein Blue Loop

Modderfontein Reserve is one of Johannesburg’s most beautiful properties — a historic estate east of the city that was the site of De Beers’ Modderfontein Dynamite Factory from 1896, now preserved as a private nature reserve with manicured lawns, large century-old trees, a dam and one of the most attractive trail settings in the greater Johannesburg area. The blue loop is the easiest MTB route on the property — 10km of smooth singletrack through the historic grounds that provides the most aesthetically pleasing beginner ride in the city.

The Blue Loop

The Modderfontein blue loop is technically undemanding — smooth compacted singletrack on flat to gently rolling terrain through the estate’s historic garden areas, alongside the dam and through the patches of natural bushveld within the reserve boundary. The dominant experience is not technical challenge but aesthetic pleasure: the combination of large mature trees, well-maintained grounds, dam views and the historic character of the former dynamite factory estate creates an atmosphere entirely different from Johannesburg’s other trail venues. Bird hides along the dam add a birdwatching dimension for riders willing to slow down between the singletrack sections.

Getting There

Modderfontein Reserve, Modderfontein Road, Modderfontein. GPS: -26.1000, 28.1667. Tel: +27 11 605 4600. From Johannesburg: N3 east toward OR Tambo, exit at Modderfontein/Kelvin.

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