Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve Photos

Key TAKEAWAYS

1. Historical Significance: Blyde River Canyon, formed around 240 million years ago, has been inhabited for up to 100,000 years and holds spiritual importance for local tribes. Key historical events include a notable 1864 battle where Chief Maripe Mashile defeated King Mswati II's Swazi raiding party.
2. Geological and Natural Features: The canyon, one of the largest green canyons in the world, boasts rich biodiversity and unique geological formations, including "Giant's Kettles" and the Blyderivierspoort Dam, which supports irrigation and tourism activities.
3. Tourist Attractions: Major attractions include God's Window, offering panoramic views along the Panorama Route, and Bourke's Luck Potholes. The area is renowned for its stunning landscapes and opportunities for hiking, boating, and guided tours.
4. Cultural Heritage: The names of many features in the canyon, such as Mariepskop and the Klaserie River, reflect the region's cultural and historical narratives, emphasizing its significance to both indigenous people and early European pioneers.
   

A Short History of Blyde River Canyon

Blyde River canyon is thought to have been formed some 240 million years ago through violent volcanic eruptions and vast rivers of lava, a mite or two younger than the 350 million year old Fish River Canyon in Namibia, and has had a human presence for up to 100 thousand years. Local tribes have regarded the mountain with spiritual reverence for generations as well as early pioneers, this is represented heavily through the names of its features.

In 1864 a famous battle took place betweeen Chief Maripe Mashile and King Mswati II's swazi raiding party. Chief Maripe won the battle through cunning planning and thus the main mountain Mariepskop is derived from his name as well as the Klaserie River which is an Afrikaans distortion of Motlasedi meaning 'where the battle occurred'.

Named after the man Tom Bourke who found signs of gold in these Giant's Kettles. Unfortunately for Bourke he misjudged the distances and never struck a vein but men afterwards following his story struck it rich a little further south.

Rich with plants, animals and history, Blyde River Canyon is a place worth visiting.

Below are some stunning Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve photos.

Blyderivierspoort Dam

Blyde Dam was completed in 1974, is 71m high, 22m deep and was built for industrial and agricultural irrigation covering an area of 23,521 hectares. Nowadays with the energy requirements and water patterns of the lowveld the dam is used less often than it once was although it often overflows from the summer rains and feeds into a tributary of the Ohrigstad River.

Today there are some beautiful boat cruises guests can go on to discover more of the river, and hikes around the dam are also possible.

blyde river canyon nature reserve tours

Where and What is God's Window

God's Window is located on the southeastern escarpment of the Klein Drakensburg mountain range. It one of the last (or first depending on how you begin) stops of the Panorama Route (along with Bourke's Luck Potholes and Lisbon Falls) and is a major tourist attraction in Mpumalanga.

It was named as such for it's amazing panoramic views. Stories full of strange phenomenon, visions and hallucinations revolve around this place. The view goes on for well over a 100km almost bending light around the mountain faces. Go on a clear day and you may just be able to see the sparkle of the Indian Ocean teasing your eyes.

Try our Panorama Route Tour to see all of the majestic sights the mountain range has to offer.

A Map of the Panorama ROute