Nearby, the Sentinel Trail features magnificent scenery. The Highveld Garden in President Brand Road is the setting for a variety of indigenous highveld plants. The Abrahamsrust Pleasure Resort, on the Vaal River, encompasses a swimming pool and a miniature golf course. The adjacent ice rink is reputedly the largest in the southern hemisphere. Vaal Dam Covering some 300 km2, the Vaal Dam is a popular venue for the full spectrum of water sports.
Anglers frequent the dam where yellowfish, carp and barbel are often caught.
Numerous resorts line the shore. The dam also attracts a great diversity of birds, including yellow-billed duck, coot, great white egret, Egyptian goose and fish eagle. The town lies on the banks of the Vals River where boating, fishing and swimming are popular. The district produces maize in large quantities. This is one of the largest private agricultural show centres in the world.