For the overnight backpacker, caves offer the best option for accommodation in the lower Drakensberg. There are very few usable huts to choose from, while the use of expensive hiking tents means extra weight to carry. Finding suitably flat and tuft-free terrain on which to pitch a tent is also very difficult in the lower Drakensberg. However, tents come into their own on the escarpment due to the sparsity of caves and the complete lack of hiking huts there, and where finding a level, tuft-free grassed area is far easier.

A large portion of this website is therefore dedicated to the subject of caves. In the Drakensberg, “caves” are usually just overhangs and while some offer excellent protection from the weather, most are still fairly exposed to wind and wind-driven dust, rain, sleet, snow and hail. Even heavy mist can result in damp sleeping bags and other gear. The purpose of this section on caves is to provide hike leaders with an assessment of each one so they can make informed decisions about their planned route.

Please note:

• This website lists the caves approximately from north to south to facilitate their location on a map.  The caves have also been grouped into sections of the Drakensberg corresponding to the hiking maps of the area.
• On the maps, the number after the name of the cave indicates the maximum number of people that can be accommodated.  In some cases the cave can accommodate fewer people in summer (S) than in winter (W) because of dampness, drips and even rivulets during the wet summer season.
• Although some of the caves could easily accommodate 20 or more, the maximum is still limited to 12 in order to reduce the environmental impact of campers.
• Some of the maxima listed in this guide may differ from those specified by the maps.  The reason for this is that some of the cave terraces have been eroded and can no longer accommodate as many people as they used to be able to.
• There are some caves and annexes listed on this site which may not be publicised elsewhere.  Camping in some of these caves is prohibited because of environmental impact damage, the presence of Bushman paintings in or near the caves, or the proximity of the caves to other large public campsites.  The general rule is that no overnight camping is permitted in caves containing rock art.  In most other cases it is quite permissible to stay overnight in an unlisted cave, provided the maximum of 12 people is never exceeded.
• The making of fires is prohibited, and this applies to campfires in caves as well.  Anyone caught  making such a fire will be subject to a hefty fine. Besides the obvious danger of starting veld fires during the dry winter months, fires smoke out caves and coat their walls with soot, making them uninhabitable for the myriad of little creatures which normally live in their crevices.  However, the most important reason for not making fires centres around the availability of firewood.  The growing season in the mountains is short and the rich top-soil is very thin (usually just a few centimetres), so only the hardiest of slow-growing trees can survive.  It is also essential that dead vegetation is recycled by nature to replenish the top soil.  In other words, firewood is not a renewable resource in the mountains.
• Some sections of the Drakensberg have tried to ban the use of candles.  This is because many hikers like to stand candles on ledges against the walls of caves, with the result that wax runs down the walls and they also get blackened by soot.  This is not in keeping with the minimal-impact approach to hiking (i.e. “take only photographs, leave only footprints”).  If normal candles were used responsibly this would not be an issue and there would be no need to ban them.  Hikers can now buy long-life candles which come with a wind-shield and carry handle.  These are very effective and are a good alternative in areas where normal candles have been banned.