page_title: Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve
section_title: Cycling and mountainbiking
hierarchical_section_title: Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve / Cycling and mountainbiking
caption_attribution_description: English: Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve - Eland Picture taken on 12/04/2004.
context_page_description: Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is a protected area in the Suikerbosrand Range, South Africa. It is one of Gauteng’s most frequented ecotourism destinations. Set just a short distance from Johannesburg, an hour's drive from Johannesburg International Airport and near the historical town of Heidelberg, this reserve boasts a representative sample of the fauna and flora of the rocky Highveld grassland biome. With 134 km² of unspoiled natural environment and a mountain range characterised by meandering twists and turns of hiking trails, the reserve offers an unbelievably refreshing break from the bustling city life. Here, the altitude varies between 1,545 and 1,917 m above sea level.
  The Suikerbosrand ridge was originally named after sugar cane found growing here by the party of general Hendrik Potgieter on 5 June 1836. Later the ridge and consequently the reserve's name became associated with the characteristic Transvaal-sugar bush, a dominant vegetation type within the area's limits.
context_section_description: The reserve is popular amongst mountain bikers and road cyclists for its quiet roads and trails, scenery, steep climbs, and fast twisting descents.
caption: Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve - eland
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