Camping in Hogsback

Camping in Hogsback is a cold-night proposition: you’re pitching at about 1,300 m, mist rolls in without warning, and even summer nights want a fire. Get the gear right and it’s the cheapest way to wake up inside the Amathole forest. Here’s where the tents actually go — drawn from the village’s own vetted sheet and what locals tell arriving campers.

The campsites

  • Maylodge — cottages plus a camping ground on the Lower Hogsback, with a separate Misty Site camping area under the same operation. Phone 083 301 9030. Pets allowed.
  • Wild Fox Hill — camping plus two six-sleeper cottages, Upper Hogsback. The riverside sites are the pick — locals point arriving campers here first. Phone 084 960 0898.
  • Terra Khaya — about 20 tent sites, dorms and doubles, off-grid by design: long-drops and solar showers are features, not flaws. Upper Hogsback. Phone 076 437 1898. Pets allowed.
  • The Hogsback Inn — the historic hotel keeps a campsite on its grounds, so campers get the tavern, the pool and the restaurant downstairs. Phone 045 962 1006. See the Inn’s page.
  • Away with the Fairies — camping alongside the backpackers, cottages and the Green Dragon Café terrace. See the backpackers guide.

Swallowtail has been reported reopened for campers recently — unconfirmed by us, so ask locally before relying on it.

What the mountain will do to you (plan for it)

  • Nights are cold every month. Bring a real sleeping bag, not a summer one; firewood is usually for sale on site — ask at booking.
  • Mist and rain arrive sideways. A rainfly pitched properly beats a view pitched badly. Check the road conditions before driving up in winter.
  • Snow closes things. On snow-forecast weekends the village fills and campsites go quiet — read the snow report before you commit.
  • Load-shedding happens. Terra Khaya runs solar by design; elsewhere, ask what the site has.

Not camping but close

Cabins and budget rooms sit right next to most campsites — see the backpackers & camping guide or the full accommodation range.

Community-verified by Hogsback residents. If a site has closed or moved, tell us — we’d rather fix it than have you arrive to a locked gate.