Secretary Bird Trail Hiking Guide
The Secretary Bird Trail is an easy hike along the Mac Mac river, through grasslands and interesting rock formations.
Secretary Bird Trail Basics:
- 1 hour
- 3km
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Loop hike
- Cost per person: R30
- Location: Mac Mac Pools
Secretary Bird Trail
The Secretary Bird Trail Hike is an easy 3km loop around the Mac Mac pools. When we visited in August 2021, the grasslands were still very dry and we had no sign of birds. However, I was pleased with this trail length and the views.
The trail goes through the grasslands, some interesting rock formations, and gives some great mountain views.
You can combo this trail with a visit to the nearby Forest Falls Hike to get a good 7km hike in for the day. You’ll have to drive between the two spots. Also plan to stop at Mac Mac Falls for a hot second while you’re in the area.
Mac Mac pools must be more specular in the wet season. When we visited, only one pool was good enough for a swim, and it was smaller than what we had just seen at Forest Falls. Most of the pool’s occupants were children or people dipping their feet in. It felt a little crowded even though there weren’t that many people just because there was only one pool to take a dip in. I wasn’t that impressed but the hike was nice.
There are plenty of picnic spots along the Mac Mac River, making it a great sit-down picnic location.
If you’re spending a week in Blyde River Canyon then you should make a stop to see the pools and do the hike. However, if you’re short on time, skip this location and instead go for the Belvedere day hike at Bourke’s Luck Potholes or one of the trails at the Blyde River Canyon Forever Resort (my favorite for views and swimming holes!)