Rietvlei Nature Reserve

This article is about the nature reserve in Pretoria, Gauteng. For the wetland reserve in Milnerton, Cape Town, see Rietvlei Wetland Reserve.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve
View of the Rietvlei Dam from the picnic area
Map
TypeNature reserve
LocationSouth Africa
Nearest cityPretoria, Gauteng
Coordinates25°53′49″S 28°17′38″E / 25.89694°S 28.29389°E / -25.89694; 28.29389
Area4,000 hectares (40 km2)[1]
Established
  • 1929 (1929) - as a conservation area
  • 1948 (1948) - proclaimed[2]
  • 5 March 2014 (2014-03-05) - Declaration of a Nature Reserve[3][4]
Administered byCity of Tshwane
Hiking trailsTwo
  • One 14 km day trail
  • One 21 km trail over three days
WebsiteCity of Tshwane page on Rietvlei

Rietvlei Nature Reserve, located in southern Pretoria, is about 4,000 hectares (40 km2)[1] in size, and includes the entirety of the Rietvlei Dam which impounds the Rietvlei River, in Gauteng, South Africa. The reserve is wedged between the R21 highway (OR Tambo Airport highway) on the western side and the R50 (Delmas-Bapsfontein) road on the north-east. The mean elevation above sea level is approximately 1,525 meters, with the highest point at 1,542 m and the lowest at 1,473 m, the dam’s outflow in Sesmylspruit. The reserve covers a surface area of approximately 4,003 ha or 40 km2, of which the dam constitutes some 20ha. A network of roads criss-cross the entire area, which facilitates access to visitors and management.

  1. ^ a b "Rietvlei Nature Reserve: Historic Background". City of Tshwane. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
  2. ^ Marais, Riaan (November 2004). "A Plant Ecological Study of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng Province" (PDF). City of Tshwane. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  3. ^ "Gazetted Name: Rietvlei Nature Reserve" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Protected Areas Register".