When Is the Best Time
Jubilee Creek and the greatly located Picnic Site are just a 30-minute drive north of Knysna. This is a tremendous local braai spot and picnic area on a well-kept lawn. The picnic site is equipped with basic braai stations with grids and bins for the trash.
Our friends brought us to this fantastic picnic site at Milwood Creek. This is the perfect place for a great day with family and friends.
The creek is shallow, therefore, relatively safe for the kids to play without too many worries. Jubilee Creek is located inside the Garden Route National Park, the Millwood-Goudveld section in the heart of the beautiful Knysna Forest.
If lucky, you may spot a green loerie and other birds in the forest and at the picnic area. Getting there is a bit of a rough drive on a winding, bumpy dirt road inside the park but worth the effort.
Signs are scarcely placed, so read the few available ones properly; otherwise, you end up in a completely different area or on the top of a hill if you miss the Jubilee Creek sign.
You may be able to get here in a standard rental car; however, after heavy rainfall, the dirt roads may be accessible for 4 WDs only.
Don't miss out on our YouTube Short for Gericke's Point and Jubilee Creek in the Knysna Forest. We are real travellers and I provide honest content from our own experience. We took all these pictures and footage.
Entrance Fee Jubilee Creek
An entrance permit is needed. You get this permit at the entrance gate from SAN Parks staff. The entrance fee depends on where you are coming from, and you must show your ID.
- Residents R52
- SAAC R104
- Overseas R180
- Kids pay half of the entry fee
There is safe parking and clean basic public toilets. Unfortunately, this area is not suitable for wheelchairs.
Location Picnic Site and parking trailhead (Google Maps)
Jubilee Creek Forest Walk
The trail is an easy walk of 3,6 km return and suitable for most ages but not well marked. However, you will see tracks of other hikers. You must cross the creek three times, and depending on the water level, you get either wet shoes or walk barefoot, which we preferred.
However, it’s definitely worth it. At the end of the hike, you get rewarded with a waterfall and pool excellent for a bath or swimming.
You pass by some mines from the 1880s mining activities. Some are still accessible, but please respect the signs and don’t enter these old dangerous tunnels.
Are you wondering about the blackish-brown colour of the water? This colour comes from the washed-out tannins of the soil where fynbos vegetation occurs. The creek is crystal clear and refreshing even in the winter. It was fabulous to walk through.
The return hike may take an hour with photo stops, but we were so fascinated by the lush indigenous tropical forest, the lichens and ferns that we were back at the picnic site 1 ½ hours later.
We got spoiled with a delicious braai prepared by our friends Janet and Paul; plenty of meat and "braaibroodjies" which are buttered outside for roasting and filled with tomato, cheese, chutney, onion and spices.
Jubilee Creek Trail Details
- Trail length: 3,6 km
- Hiking duration: 1-2 hours if you plan to swim at the bottom of the waterfall.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rating: Excellent little fun hike
Don't miss out on my first-timer's guide and learn all about the 12 Essential Insights for Your Vacation in South Africa.
Top Accommodation Tip
Instead of busy Knysna, we spent five nights in Sedgefield, a 25-minute drive west of the town. Our remote cottage on top of a hill with breathtaking views of the lagoon was the perfect place for us in Sedgefield. The hosts, Norman and Natalie, are lovely and nearby when needed. We felt super safe here and even opened the window in the night. We didn't want to leave this quiet and cosy cottage. Sedgefield, Gericke's Point, and Swartvley Beach are often overlooked; they are real gems along the Garden Route.
Best Months to Visit
Location and Tips
This is the perfect choice to escape the crowds in Knysna and along the Garden Route.
