Blyde River
| Motlatse River Blyde River | |
|---|---|
Motlatse River passing through a sandstone gorge below the Treur confluence | |
Location of the Blyde-Olifants confluence | |
| Location | |
| Country | South Africa |
| State | Mpumalanga & Limpopo |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Hartebeesvlakte |
| • elevation | 2,000 m (6,600 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Olifants River, South Africa |
• coordinates | 24°15′17″S 30°49′47″E / 24.25472°S 30.82972°E |
| Basin size | 2,842 km2 (1,097 sq mi) |
The Motlatse River ("Permanent River"), Blyde River (Afrikaans: Blyderivier "Glad River"), or Umdhlazi River is a river in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. It has a northwards course in steep-sided valleys and ravines of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg, before it enters the lowveld region of the Limpopo province. It has its ultimate origins at around 2,000 m altitude in the Hartebeesvlakte conservation area, to the north of Long Tom Pass. It runs through the Blyde River Canyon.