Knysna Forest

It is supposed that the name, ‘Knysna’ or ‘xthys xna,’ came from one of the Khoekhoe languages. The  term  might have meant ‘place of timber’or ‘place of ferns’.

Within the Knysna forest which covers over 3000km², there are at least 50 different species of trees. Most of these trees are indigenous, although there are plantations of cash crop trees. The indigenous trees include giant yellowwoods, stinkwood, hard pear, wild fig, cape chestnut, cape ash, candlewood, and white milkwood.

The indigenous forest stretches far inland. Due to the high rainfall and moisture, water-loving ferns and mosses abound. Some of the trees rise up to 30 meters or more, and some are over a thousand years old.

The forest is home to some beautiful birds and a trip could be worth it for that alone. Birds such as the red-billed wood hoopoe and the famous emerald green Knysna lourie can be seen.   Look out also for bushbuck, troops of baboons, cape leopard,  and, possibly, an elusive forest elephant.

There is evidence of people living sustainably in these forests since antiquity. However, when the Cape was settled by colonists they brought modern commerce with them. This needed enormous quantities of timber for construction, tools, and furniture.

The forest was systematically destroyed as timber was felled, and transported by ox-drawn cart to the village of Knysna, from where it was shipped to Cape Town or even overseas. By 1939 the government had to put a stop to logging to give the forests a chance to recover.

Fossilized hominid footprints, dating to about 90,000 years ago, along with various other archaeological discoveries suggest that humans have lived in Knysna for well over 300,000 years.

Oral tradition among the Houtunqua tells how the Houtunqua held specific superstitions about Europeans and believed them to be “baleful spirits”. Thus the Houtunqua went out of their way to avoid contact with Europeans.  Other Khoekhoe tribes established formal relations and traded with Europeans,

Knysna Forest has some of the most beautiful, enjoyable, and even sometimes challenging trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and runners.  There are hundreds of trails to explore, and dozens of picnic spots to enjoy.