The Garden Route National Park has nearly completed its recovery from severe storms and flooding in May that caused more than R50 million ($3 million) in damage, with most tourism facilities and visitor experiences now operating again.

The storms hit several parts of the park, affecting the Tsitsikamma, Wilderness and Knysna sections and damaging roads, drainage systems, hiking trails, access routes and other visitor infrastructure.

SANParks Head of Communications and Spokesperson JP Louw told Travel News that some areas required emergency repairs before they could safely reopen.

“Most tourism facilities and visitor services have been restored and the majority of affected areas are operational,” Louw said. “Recovery work now focuses on completing permanent infrastructure repairs and strengthening resilience against future extreme weather events.”

Nature’s Valley Camp reopens

Nature’s Valley Camp in the Tsitsikamma section was among the facilities forced to close after the flooding.

The camp has since reopened and is fully operational, while hiking and cycling trails that were temporarily closed during the storms have also reopened.

“The camp is now open and fully operational. All hiking and cycling trails were temporarily closed during the storm and are now all fully open,” Louw said.

The main remaining tourism-related closure is the Outeniqua Hiking Trail in the Knysna section. Repairs are still underway, leaving the trail as one of the final parts of the park’s visitor infrastructure to be restored.

Visitor activity rebounds across the Park

The reopening of facilities has helped restore visitor activity across the park, with SANParks reporting positive feedback from guests and tourism partners.

“Feedback from guests and tourism partners has been positive,” Louw said. “Visitors appreciate the rapid restoration of services and the continued quality of the visitor experience throughout the park.”

The Garden Route National Park stretches along South Africa’s southern coast across parts of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces. It brings together indigenous forests, lakes, mountains and a rugged coastline, making it one of the country’s major nature and tourism destinations.

The recovery comes as the park works to repair the damage caused by the May storms while improving infrastructure in areas exposed to severe weather.