Can I hike up Devils Peak?

Devils Peak is the 2nd peak that overlooks Cape Town. If you stand at the waterfront and look towards Table Mountain, Lions Head is the small peak on the right and Devils Peak is the larger peak on the left. Only slightly smaller than Table Mountain at 1001m Devils Peak is separated from Table Mountain by the by a saddle that stands at 600m.

In answer to the often asked question, can I hike up Devils Peak? The answer is absolutely “yes!” There are a number of trails. Some difficult and treacherous, some very easy. The easiest way is a route from Tafelberg Road which I will outline below.

Drive along Tafelberg Rd, past the cable car station and the parking area of Platteklip Gorge and stop at the next big layby parking area. From here you head up a steep zig zag path for 10 mins until you reach a junction with the lower contour path. Turn right and almost immediately left and continue uphill for another 10 minutes, here you are joined on the right by another path coming from the contour path just past Platteklip Gorge.

Above here the path levels out and leads you towards the Southern suburbs until a right turn takes you up the saddle. It should have taken you about 40 minutes to reach here.

From here you head straight up a steep and quite eroded path first to a smaller saddle where at 700m where another path joins from the left. You now begin the final assault and should be at the top in about 20 minutes.

The path up Devils Peak

The views from the top are truly some of the best in the Cape. From the beacon you can see False Bay and the Southern suburbs as well as Cape Town and Table Bay. From here you get magnificent views of Table Mountain and that steep ascent Platteklip Gorge.

The view of Platteklip Gorge from Devils Peak

If you would like to hike up Devils Peak contact Ridgway Ramblers to organise a day hike you will never forget.