Beaverlac Main, Totum, and Secret Pools Trail – (Beaverlac NR – Porterville)

This recording of the route to Beaverlac Camp’s most renowned pools is an easy and straightforward walk to reach them all. In terms of distance from the camp Totum Pool is the furthest followed by Secret Pool and then Main Pool is the closest to Beaverlac. In this recording Main pool was visited first, followed by Totum pool, and then finally Secret Pool. There are many other smaller pools and waterfalls to be found along the Ratelrivier so if any of these three are too busy you can most likely find an unnamed pool and have it all to yourself, you may just have to get slightly creative when it comes to finding and getting to these pools. This recording was done over a busy weekend in Feb 2024 and even then, our group had the Totum pool almost exclusively to ourselves arriving after 10am. Long weekends and school holidays might be a different story as numbers at the campsite are likely to increase dramatically which could lead to congestion at the main pools. Please note you will need to have a booking for accommodation or camping at Beaverlac to do this walk as day visitors are no permitted to enter. Although short and not technical in the slightest I opted to record this as a hike because there is very little with regards to signage in Beaverlac Camp and the maps supplied there only really show which side of the camp to leave in order to reach the various pools. In addition, the lack of any real signal at Beaverlac means you can’t really load a map. I recommend sending this trail to your GPS device well before you depart for Porterville and then follow on the day. That being said these are easy to navigate in and out trails so the likelihood of getting lost is negligible. The recordings might just assist with orientating one to start but for the most part navigation isn’t required. Departing from the Beaverlac shop the trail heads South until a gate and the first sign is reached from here a short way along the trail splits, left side to the main pool and right side over the rocks to Totum Pool. Main pool is the largest of all Beaverlac’s pools and has a series of falls and ample places to sit amongst the large boulders. The water seems deep as there were children jumping from the top of the falls. A good idea would be to bring an umbrella for hot days as there are no trees here and with the sun overhead one could develop quite the sunburn if not careful. If the Main Pool is skipped the walk South along the trail is easy, slightly uphill, and only undulates marginally requiring minimal effort to get to the Totum Pool. Once reached Totum Pool, although smaller than the other pools is one of the most idyllic. It has a waterfall just above it and the high ground koppies around the pools provide a scenic backdrop. The pool was just below shoulder deep at the deepest point but this may vary with rainfall. The large boulders around the pools provide comfortable lounging but one may need to get creative with shade. There are a few small pools above the Totum Pool and there are likely many more to explore if one wishes to continue Southwards down the Ratelrivier. Return to Beaverlac is via the same route and you can explore the river all the way back. To reach the Secret Pool one heads out of Beaverlac in the opposite direction. Heading North and then cutting East through Orchards and then North again on single track footpath one will reach the Secret Pool after about 600-750m. The Pool is significantly larger than the Totum Pool but somewhat smaller than the Main Pool. Being close to the camp it can also attract a crowd of swimmers. There are a few deep sections in this pool and there should be a few Waterfalls feeding it even in dry conditions. The rocks might be able to provide some shade but an umbrella can be useful here. Beaverlac is private and safe with active security. Take caution when swimming and with sun exposure. Do not litter and remember no glass at the pools and no music whatsoever when at Beaverlac (we watched a group get evicted after using only a small Bluetooth speaker at camp). Enjoy the pools and drive safely over the Dasklip Pass when on route especially if you are in a loaded sedan or hatchback!