Knysna Forest

Knysna is surrounded by a wide expanse of forest country. Between George to the west and Humansdorp to the east extends the largest area of forest in South Africa (80,000ha/200,000ac): only 1% of the country's area consists of forest, compared with 25% in the United States. Much of the area is planted forest (pines and eucalyptus), but there are still some stretches of natural "primeval" forest with giant yellowwood trees, some of them between 400 and 800 years old, as well as stinkwoods and the pink-flowered Cape chestnut. There are no longer any of the larger game animals in this area, and the fauna consists mainly of some species of antelopes and large numbers of birds. There are only four surviving elephants, which are rarely sighted. At the end of the 19th C there were around 400-500 elephants in the area; by 1962 the number had fallen to ten. This decline in numbers is due not only to hunting but also to the fact that the planted forests do not form an ideal habitat.

There are numerous hiking trails through the forest, but it can also be seen by car. One attractive trip, for example, is on R 339 to King Edward's Tree (20km/12.5mi northeast of Knysna), returning on a road which runs past the Gouna forest station. There are numerous picnic spots on the road.