Thornhill: Cycling Routes, Market and Outings

In Thornhill, two mountain biking routes with very different characters share a starting point: Crossways Farm Village. There is also a monthly farmers’ market and more ways to spend time outdoors.

Two routes, two different levels of challenge

The Baby-Monkey loop by 3Rivers Trails is a short, family-friendly route for children and recreational cyclists. The same provider’s Black-Mamba route, with its challenging XCO profile, offers a different kind of ride: technical singletrack, steep climbs and descents define the route. Both start at Crossways Farm Village in Thornhill.

This makes it possible to choose a ride to suit the level of challenge you want: on one hand, there is the short, family-friendly loop; on the other, the demanding route with technical trail and significant climbs. If you are riding together, you can consider in advance which route suits your day on the bike.

Market and picnic outdoors

The farmers’ market at Crossways Farm Village is held under blue gum trees on the first Sunday of every month. Its regular monthly date makes it a possible activity in its own right, separate from the cycling routes. Check the latest market information before setting out.

In the area around Thornhill, African Dawn has several braai and picnic spots. Visitors may bring their own food and drinks and spend the day on the grounds. This offers a different way to spend time outdoors than cycling: you can plan an outing with your own provisions. Before visiting, check with the operator for the latest visitor information.

More activities in the travel area

In the travel area around Thornhill, a bike park has trails for riders of all ability levels; some paths are also suitable for hiking or walking. This adds more trail options to the two specific routes at Crossways Farm Village. A riding school elsewhere in the travel area offers riding lessons for adults and children with trained horses and ponies. These activities broaden the options to include cycling, hiking, walking and riding lessons, without requiring every activity to be the same kind of outing.

Choose accommodation based on your planned activities

When looking for a holiday apartment in Thornhill, it may help to first decide what you want to focus on during your vacation. If the two routes are a priority, their shared starting point at Crossways Farm Village offers a practical reference for planning. If you also want to visit the farmers’ market, take into account that it is held on the first Sunday of the month. For activities elsewhere in the travel area, you can consider the bike park and riding lessons. Which accommodation suits your plans depends on which of these activities you want to include; the destinations mentioned offer different starting points for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Bathurst, Oyster Bay, Willowmore, Cape Saint Francis, Buyskloof, Alexandria, Stormsrivier, Graaff-Reinet.

For the broader travel overview: Western District.