HomeDestinationsNamibiaFish River Canyon Hiking Trail
Hard
Hiking
🇳🇦 Namibia
Satellite

This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.

ID: NA-KA-01
Book with Namibia Wildlife Resorts. The trail is open only from 1 May to 15 September, groups must have at least 3 hikers, and each hiker needs a medical fitness certificate issued within 40 days of the hike.
https://www.nwr.com.na/

Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail

Added on 10 Oct 2026
Logged by @trailx

A self-supported desert trek through Africa's largest canyon. The trail drops from Hiker's Viewpoint near Hobas onto the canyon floor and follows the Fish River south past Palm Springs and its hot spring, over sand, boulder fields and river crossings, to the hot springs resort of Ai-Ais. There are no marked paths or facilities along the way.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Allow 4–5 days and carry everything you need. The steep first descent is the hardest section. River water must be treated. Days are hot and nights cold even in winter, so pack light sleeping gear and sun protection. There is no way out of the canyon for most of the route, so emergency evacuation is very difficult.

Weather check

At Start
792m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

-27.5779, 17.6061

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: -27.5779, 17.6061 @ 792m

Quick Stats

Distance
69.41 km
Type
Hiking Trail
Elevation Range
210m - 792m
Max Elevation
792 m
Max Gradient
3.7%
35.7%

Highlights

  • Descend into the canyon from Hiker's Viewpoint
  • Soak in the natural hot spring at Palm Springs
  • Sleep under the stars on the sand beside the river
  • Take the shortcuts over the canyon's great bends
  • Finish with a soak in the Ai-Ais hot springs

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Emergency Simplex
146.520MHz
Team Coordination
446.006MHz
Scout Primary
146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+81 m

Total Descent

-662 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)
10.7

10.7

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)
1.75

1.75

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)93%
Moderate (3-8%)3%
Steep (>8%)4%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved0%
Unpaved100%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Gravel
87%
Dirt Track
13%
Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

33

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 50

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: -27.918980
MAX LAT: -27.577809
MIN LON: 17.488494
MAX LON: 17.619788

Point Spacing: 51.8 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

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