Campsite Spotlight – Leopard’s Tree Campsite, Citrusdal

Located at the foot of the Cederberg mountains, just south of Citrusdal in the Western Cape, Leopard’s Tree Campsite has been welcoming campers and rock climbers to explore its land for just over a year. We recently spent some time enjoying some of the campsite’s exclusive mountain trails, waterfalls and rock pools and visited ‘the tree where leopards sharpen their claws’…

We stumbled upon Leopard’s Tree Campsite after narrowing down our search criteria to include pet-friendly, mountain-based campsites in the Citrusdal region known for peace and tranquillity, with a river or swimming pool on-site for some relief during February’s scorching heat, as well as campsites easily accessible with a regular sedan vehicle since our usual 4×4 was in for repairs. We also hoped to find a campsite with its own hiking trails and enough nature-inspired activities to keep us busy for a whole weekend. Leopard’s Tree Campsite, seemed a perfect fit. 

“Shhhh, nature in progress”

Noticeable in many of its online reviews is that Leopard’s Tree Campsite is favoured for its ‘peace and quiet’, which was high up on our list of preferences. If you prefer uninterrupted camping in solitude over vibrant camping resorts, add Leopard’s Tree to your ‘peaceful campsites’ list. Leopard’s Tree Campsite ensures that guests comply and adhere to its ‘No Loud Noise’ policy by including a noise compliance fee in the upfront deposit amount. So you can rest assured you won’t be camping next to any party-goers with loudspeakers during your time here. 

Each campsite provides an electric plug point, water points as well as a braai place, and accommodates up to 4 campers per stand (an extra 2 can be accommodated at an extra cost). Communal ablution facilities are located near the first few sites and provide showers with hot water, basins, and flushing toilets, and campers can also make use of the communal kitchen with a wash-up area and fridges/freezers. 

No matter which direction your camping set-up is facing, your wanderlust is bound to kick in when scanning your surroundings. Big old oak trees tower the campsite and provide some much-welcomed shade for each stand. Campsites to the left of the path look out onto beautiful mountain landscapes and are located next to a tranquil stream (not running in the dry summer months), while those to the right are located next to the farm’s immaculate citrus vineyards with a glimpse of the nearby rock-climbing crags.

Wanderlust, guaranteed!

The more we looked, the more potential hiking, biking and climbing trails we spotted as we raced to finish setting up camp and get our hiking shoes on. A popular hike leads you to a tree where leopards still sharpen their claws and you may be able to witness fresh markings – don’t forget to look out for their spoor in the sand along the way! 

The farm certainly isn’t lacking in mountainous adventure and having only had a weekend to fit in as much as possible, we left with plenty to look forward to when we visit again. 

Cooling Off

A welcomed respite is Leopard’s Tree Campsite’s swimming pool, located within a few meters from the campsite. If it’s too hot to braai at your campsite, the owners have provided braai stands around the pool area so you can take a dip between braaing.  

If you follow the right routes, you’ll have mountain streams with fresh water alongside you for much of the way, while trails lead to rock pools and waterfalls – we recommend chatting with the owners for advice on which route to take and directions to follow.