Fish River Canyon – 4x4 along the edge

Blogger on the edge!
Exploring eastern side of Fish River Canyon
Namibia 2026

On our second day at Canyon Lodge, we set out to explore the eastern side of the Fish River Canyon.

Compared with the western side near Fish River Lodge [link], the most striking feature here is the sheer openness of the Gondwana Nature Park – vast plains stretching towards rugged mountains, with the canyon itself appearing almost as a dramatic incision into an otherwise endless landscape.

Wife explooring endless landscape in
Gondwana Nature Park, Fish River Canyon
Eastern side, Namibia 2026

There is another important difference. From the eastern side, you can access the deepest sections of the Fish River Canyon directly from the rim. On the western side, you typically see the outer canyon from above before descending into the inner canyon on an organised excursion. Here, the canyon is much more immediately accessible from the top.

We drive the roughly 10 km from Canyon Lodge to the Fish River Canyon entrance gate at the Hobas office. The staff are friendly and efficient, and soon we have our permits for two people and our Hilux, ready for the next leg of the adventure.

Another 10 km takes us towards the canyon rim. We have decided to follow a small track shown on the Tracks4Africa app, running for almost 20 km along the canyon edge towards Eagle’s Rock Viewpoint.

Blue dot is Eagle´s Rock Viewpoint
Fish River Canyon, Namibia 2026

It is a 4x4 route.

And, as it turns out, quite an entertaining one.

The track is rocky but reasonably straightforward as far as Sulphur Springs Viewpoint and on towards Desert Rim Viewpoint, where the track eventually ends in a dead end.

An unexpected encounter

At Sulphur Springs Viewpoint, I suddenly spot something moving between the rocks and sparse vegetation.

A scorpion.

Black Hairy Thick-tailed Scorpion 
Fish River Canyon
Namibia 2026

And not just any scorpion.

It is a Black Hairy Thick-tailed Scorpion (Parabuthus villosus), a large and rather impressive member of Namibia's scorpion fauna. The species is characterised by its massive, thick tail, dark body and reddish-yellow legs and pincers. It is also unusually active during the day for a scorpion, meaning that it may be encountered actively during daylight hours rather than only after dark.

This one is certainly active.

It starts moving in my direction following my tracks backwards.

This has happened to me before in the Kalahari [link], when a scorpion also seemed determined to make me part of its afternoon itinerary. On that occasion, however, I was wearing sandals and had bare feet.

This time, fortunately, I am properly equipped.

I slowly retreat while managing to get some good photographs – and even two videos – of the creature.

Parabuthus villosus is a medically important species. Its venom is potent, and a sting can cause severe local pain and systemic neurological or cardiovascular effects. Serious envenoming is uncommon, but significant symptoms can occur and medical assessment is appropriate after a sting, particularly if systemic symptoms develop. In other words: this is not a scorpion I would recommend picking up for a closer look.

We watch our little friend for a while before continuing.

A fascinating and entirely unexpected encounter.

Scorpions are actually surprisingly difficult to spot in Namibia unless you are specifically looking for them. At night, they can be located relatively easily with ultraviolet light, as their exoskeleton fluoresces under UV illumination. We tried exactly that at The Desert Grace Lodge [link].

The going gets tougher

Track more challenging
Blogger building road
Fish River Canyon, Namibia 2026

As we continue towards Eagle’s Rock Viewpoint, the track becomes progressively more challenging.

In a few places I have to get out of the Hilux and inspect the route before deciding how to tackle it. There are steep sections, rocky obstacles and a few small drainage channels where parts of the track have been eroded away – presumably by the unusually heavy winter rainfall a few weeks earlier.

It is worth remembering that we are now at the end of winter in the southern hemisphere, so substantial recent rainfall is certainly not something we had expected.

The key is to keep both wheels on high ground.

The last thing you want is to have the Hilux's undercarriage resting on a rock or, even worse, to damage something underneath the vehicle. A little reconnaissance on foot is therefore considerably cheaper than a visit to a Namibian workshop.

Inspect the route
crossing small drainage channel
Namibia 2026

We thoroughly enjoy the challenge.

Nothing is particularly technical, but the combination of rocks, erosion, some steeper sections and a narrow track makes the driving sufficiently demanding to keep us very much awake.

Another little adventure.

After a long and occasionally bumpy drive, we eventually reach Eagle’s Rock Viewpoint, the end of the track.

The actual view directly into the canyon is somewhat underwhelming compared with what we had hoped for. There is, however, a beautiful panorama across the surrounding plains, and the skies above us are filled with large birds of prey circling on the thermals.

We decide to backtrack about 500 metres to a cairn we noticed earlier. From here, a short walk leads towards the canyon edge, where we are rewarded with a magnificent view of one of the Fish River's sweeping bends far below.

Wife near cairn
Fish River Canyon
Namibia 2026

This is much more like it.

Magnificent view  to one of
Fish River's sweeping bends far below
Namibia 2026

After a cold drink and a well-earned break, we start the return journey. It goes considerably faster now that we know the track – although we still take the rocks and eroded sections seriously.

Grand View – and a little peace and quiet

On the way back, we stop at the official Grand Viewpoint.

And it really is grand.

There are tables and benches, and the view across the Fish River Canyon is spectacular. There is, however, one obvious disadvantage compared with our little 4x4 adventure: we are no longer alone.

There are plenty of other visitors, and a large bus just left.

For that reason, we can highly recommend taking the track along the canyon rim towards Eagle’s Rock Viewpoint if you have a suitable vehicle and some basic 4x4 experience.

Peace and rest, 4x4 trail
Fish River Canyon
Namibia 2026

During the 2–3 hours we spend on the route, we encounter only two other vehicles.

The route is not technically difficult, but it does require a proper 4x4 with good ground clearance and a driver who is comfortable choosing the right line over rocks, erosion and uneven terrain. A little patience and willingness to get out and inspect the difficult sections also helps rather than just try.

For us, it was another great way of experiencing the Fish River Canyon – not just looking at it, but getting there as part of the adventure.

Tomorrow, we leave the canyon behind and head for the Orange River.

And this time, we are swapping four wheels for a canoe.

Adventure continues.