Treehouse in South Africa: Tree Canopy Walkway Path

The Tree Canopy Walkway Path is an astonishing addition to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. This spectacular location is already acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. The Walkway itself takes the visitor from the forest floor and climbs up into and through the trees. It eventually bursts out above the canopy, giving spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, Garden and Cape Flats.

The Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway is constructed from curved steel and timber. It winds its way through the trees, allowing guests a unique and special insight into what life may be like at such heights in such a special environment. In many places, the walkway reaches up over the very tops of the trees, so visitors should be fairly comfortable with heights (up to 12 meters) to make the most out of a trip here! The whole construct was inspired by a snake skeleton, and informally called the Boomslang, which means ‘tree snake’. It is low maintenance and extremely low impact on the surrounding nature.

At just 130 meters long, the Tree Canopy Walkway is narrow and slender. At selected points along the way, it expands to provide wider areas where the view is particularly admirable. The whole pathway has a light feel to it. It is discreet and hardly impinges on its surroundings. From the ground, it is nearly invisible. It is this careful design that further enables one to feel as though they were an arboreal creature themselves when taking this walk through the trees.

The Arboretum is situated between the Protea Garden, Cycad Amphitheatre, the Dell, Mathews Rockery, and the Concert Lawn. Access to the Tree Canopy Walkway is included in the entrance price to the gardens, which is currently around €4 per adult.

The Walkway itself takes the visitor from the forest floor and climbs up into and through the trees. It eventually bursts out above the canopy, giving spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, Garden and Cape Flats.

Photos © South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)