The Ugab River enters the Skeleton Coast National Park through a narrow gorge cut through the coastal escarpment, creating a canyon system that is entirely different in character from the surrounding flat desert. The canyon walls hold Verreaux’s eagle nests; leopard tracks appear in the riverbed sand; the geological layering in the walls is extraordinary. The Ugab Wilderness Trail is a 3-day guided hiking experience that explores this gorge.
The Trail
Offered by NWR as a guided wilderness experience; groups of 2 to 8 persons with an NWR guide. The trail starts at the Ugab River mouth area (accessible from the C34 coastal road at the national park gate), enters the canyon, and follows the river upstream for three days before returning to the starting point.
Distance: Approximately 50km over 3 days Difficulty: Moderate; river crossings, boulder scrambles, sandy river bed sections Season: March to October (avoiding the hottest months) Group size: 2 to 8 persons Booking: Through NWR; nwr.com.na
Wildlife in the Canyon
The Ugab River gorge provides shade, moisture from subsurface water, and rocky habitat that the surrounding flat desert does not. The specific wildlife of this canyon environment:
Leopard: Tracks are regularly found in the riverbed sand. Sightings are rare but the presence is consistent, making the canyon one of the more productive leopard-habitat areas on the Skeleton Coast.
Verreaux’s eagle: Nesting pairs on the canyon cliff faces; regularly seen soaring above the gorge.
Klipspringer: On the canyon rim rocks; pairs are territorial.
Brown hyena: Tracks common along the river course.
Desert-adapted plants: Fig trees and wild tamarisk in the canyon floor, sustained by subsurface moisture; a completely different plant community from the surrounding desert.
Contact Mat-Travel for Ugab trail booking and logistics.