Citrusdal - Cedarberg Wilderness Area 
The Cedarberg (in Afrikaans Sederberg) is a range of hills extending for some 100km/60mi between Clanwilliam to the north and Ceres to the south and reaching its highest point in the Sneeuberg (2,028m/6,654ft). The range is named after the Clanwilliam cedars which were originally common in this area but are now reduced to a few trees at higher and inaccessible levels, most of them having been felled for timber.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The Cedarberg is famed for its wooded gorges, its bizarre rock formations colored red by iron oxides, its caves with their Bushman paintings and its varied flora. At the highest levels in this area visitors may be lucky enough to come across the white snow protea which grows here and nowhere else.
71,000ha/175,000 ac of this region between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam are now under statutory protection as the Cedarberg Wilderness Area. A permit is required to enter the area, within which there are numerous hiking trails. Permits can be obtained from the Algeria forest station; and since only a limited number of visitors are admitted at any one time it is advisable to apply in plenty of time. The Algeria station is reached by way of N 7, turning off 27km/17mi north of Citrusdal into a narrow road to the east, which crosses the Olifants River and goes over the Niewoudts Pass (590m/1,936ft). In the valley beyond this is the forest station, where detailed directions and further information can be obtained. Accommodation is available in two converted farmhouses and on camping sites. Rooms are also available in farmhouses outside the wilderness area, and there is also plenty of room for campers.
The best time for a visit to the Cedarberg is between September and April. Most of the rain (and sometimes snow) falls between May and September. Two beautiful roads run through the Cedarberg: R 303 between Citrusdal and Ceres, now asphalted for almost the whole way, and R 364 between Clanwilliam and Calvinia, also almost completely asphalt-surfaced.
71,000ha/175,000 ac of this region between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam are now under statutory protection as the Cedarberg Wilderness Area. A permit is required to enter the area, within which there are numerous hiking trails. Permits can be obtained from the Algeria forest station; and since only a limited number of visitors are admitted at any one time it is advisable to apply in plenty of time. The Algeria station is reached by way of N 7, turning off 27km/17mi north of Citrusdal into a narrow road to the east, which crosses the Olifants River and goes over the Niewoudts Pass (590m/1,936ft). In the valley beyond this is the forest station, where detailed directions and further information can be obtained. Accommodation is available in two converted farmhouses and on camping sites. Rooms are also available in farmhouses outside the wilderness area, and there is also plenty of room for campers.
The best time for a visit to the Cedarberg is between September and April. Most of the rain (and sometimes snow) falls between May and September. Two beautiful roads run through the Cedarberg: R 303 between Citrusdal and Ceres, now asphalted for almost the whole way, and R 364 between Clanwilliam and Calvinia, also almost completely asphalt-surfaced.
