Exploring South African Nationwide Parks
South Africa enjoys an extremely various vary of natural world, from the arid deserts of the north to the luxurious forests of the south. The nation’s nationwide parks are a number of the greatest locations to expertise this variety, providing guests the prospect to see every part from lions and elephants to uncommon hen species and gorgeous landscapes.
Some parks are higher identified than others. If you wish to discover the street much less travelled, choose one (or extra) of the lesser-known parks and head over there. Most could be explored by self-driving or guided recreation drives and have lodging choices too.
There are 21 nationwide parks in South Africa that are managed by South African Nationwide Parks (SANParks). 19 of them are open to guests. The opposite 2 are Groenkloof Nationwide Park in Pretoria, the place SANParks’ head workplace is predicated, and Meerkat Nationwide Park within the Northern Cape, a analysis park which homes the Sq. Kilometre Array, MeerKAT and HERA telescopes.
Right here is an summary of the 19 South African nationwide parks , that are open to guests, in alphabetical order:
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1. Addo Elephant Nationwide Park (Japanese Cape)
Addo Elephant Park (Picture by Mylon Ollila, Unsplash )
Addo Elephant Nationwide Park is the third largest nationwide park in South Africa. It was initially established in 1931 to guard the final remaining elephants within the area. Since then, it has expanded and has a various vary of different wildlife too, together with lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos and hyenas.
See extra about Addo Elephant Nationwide Park.
2. Agulhas Nationwide Park (Western Cape)
Cape Agulhas
Occupying the southern tip of Africa, the place the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, Agulhas Nationwide Park options a number of the most lovely coastal surroundings within the nation. Considered one of its most important points of interest is the historic Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, which was inbuilt 1848 and remains to be operational immediately, providing panoramic views of the shoreline and surrounding space from the highest. There are a number of seashores within the park, like Struisbaai Seaside, which is well-liked for swimming and browsing. The world across the park can also be identified for its seafood, which could be loved at native eating places.
3. Augrabies Falls Nationwide Park (Northern Cape)
Augrabies Falls
Augrabies Nationwide Park was established in 1966 to guard the magnificent Augrabies Falls. It’s identified by the Khoi folks as ‘Aukoerebis’, or “Place of Nice Noise, from which the present identify was derived. Thousands and thousands of litres of water thunder into the 18-km Orange River Gorge over the 56-metre excessive falls each second, making a spectacular sight. The panorama additionally options attention-grabbing geological formations and distinctive vegetation, just like the quiver tree. Moreover visiting the falls, guests can go climbing, birdwatching or on recreation drives.
Examine our expertise in Augrabies Falls Nationwide Park.
4. Bontebok Nationwide Park (Western Cape)
Bontebok Nationwide Park is the smallest nationwide park in South Africa. It was based in 1931 to guard the bontebok, a uncommon antelope species that was getting ready to extinction on the time. As we speak, the park has over 150 bontebok, in addition to a number of different mammals and birds.
5. Camdeboo Nationwide Park (Japanese Cape)
Valley of Desolation (cc:South African Tourism)
Camdeboo Nationwide Park is located within the Karoo area, close to the city of Graaff Reniet. The semi-arid space is house to the Valley of Desolation, a dramatic panorama of towering rock formations, that rise as much as 120 meters above the valley flooring. The valley additionally presents gorgeous views of the encompassing panorama. Common actions listed below are climbing, game-viewing, birding, 4×4 trails and watersports on the Nqweba Dam.
6. Backyard Route Nationwide Park (Western Cape)
Knysna Heads
Considered one of South Africa’s hottest vacation locations, the Backyard Route Nationwide Park consists of three separate sections: Wilderness, Knysna and Tsitsikamma, every with their very own distinctive landscapes and biodiversity. Wilderness is thought for its tranquil lakes, wetlands and indigenous forests, in addition to its birdlife. The Knysna part is the place you will see the Knysna estuary, a haven for birdlife and marine animals just like the endangered Knysna seahorse. The Tsitsikamma part has towering cliffs, deep gorges, and a rugged shoreline with a number of the greatest climbing trails within the nation.
See issues to do within the Backyard Route.
7. Golden Gate Highlands Nationwide Park (Free State)
Golden Gate Highlands Nationwide Park
Positioned close to the Lesotho border, the Golden Gate Highlands Nationwide Park is known as after the golden glow that the sandstone cliffs give off throughout dawn and sundown. The park is thought for its breathtaking surroundings, which encompasses spectacular sandstone formations, rolling hills, and luxurious grasslands. A must-see is the Brandwag Buttress, a towering sandstone formation that provides gorgeous views of the encompassing panorama. Different highlights embody the Echo Ravine waterfall, the Basotho Cultural Village, and the Vulture Restaurant, the place guests can watch endangered Cape vultures feeding.
Examine our expertise in Golden Gate Highlands Nationwide Park.
8. Karoo Nationwide Park (Western Cape)
Spanning over 750 sq. kilometres, the Karoo Nationwide Park is thought for its rugged, semi-arid panorama, that includes rolling hills, deep valleys, and stark plains. Its fascinating geology includes a number of rock formations and historical fossils. One can be taught in regards to the cultural historical past of the realm on the park’s customer centre, which options reveals on the San individuals who as soon as inhabited the area. Wildlife consists of black rhino, Cape mountain zebra, crimson hartebeest, a number of species of antelope, in addition to a wide range of hen species.
9. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Northern Cape/Botswana)
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Charles James Sharp from Wikimedia Commons)
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a big wildlife reserve and conservation space situated within the southern Kalahari Desert, straddling the border between Botswana and South Africa. Established in 2000, the park covers an space of over 3.8 million hectares and helps a various vary of wildlife, together with leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, zebras and lots of species of birds. It additionally has a big inhabitants of Kalahari black-maned lions, that are a desert-adapted species of lion discovered solely within the Kalahari Desert.
10. Kruger Nationwide Park (Mpumalanga /Limpopo)
Elephants In Kruger Nationwide Park
Most likely probably the most well-known nationwide park in South Africa, Kruger Nationwide Park is the dimensions of a small nation. It is likely one of the largest and most well-known recreation reserves in Africa and is thought for its unimaginable variety of wildlife sightings and exquisite pure landscapes. The “Large 5”, cheetah, wild canines and umpteen extra species of wildlife and birds could be seen right here. It is usually an essential birding vacation spot, with over 500 species recorded throughout the park.
Examine our experiences in Kruger Nationwide Park.
11. Mapungubwe Nationwide Park (Limpopo)
Mapungubwe Nationwide Park is known as after the traditional Kingdom of Mapungubwe, a pre-colonial civilization that when thrived within the space and left behind a wealth of archaeological treasures courting again to the Iron Age. These could be seen on the Mapungubwe UNESCO World Heritage Website, situated within the park. Wildlife consists of elephants, lions, leopards, hyenas, giraffes, and lots of species of antelopes and birds.
12. Marakele Nationwide Park (Limpopo)
Marakele Nationwide Park
Positioned within the Waterberg Mountains, Marakele Nationwide Park is ready in a surprising mountain panorama, with scenic drives that supply panoramic views of the encompassing countryside. The park is split into two sections – a standard recreation part and a wild Large 5 part. The latter is fenced off and accessed by way of an digital gate after passing by a tunnel. The Large 5 and different species of animals and birds, together with endangered Cape vultures, could be discovered within the park.
Examine how we received caught on a mountain in Marakele Nationwide Park.
13. Mokala Nationwide Park (Northern Cape)
Positioned close to the city of Kimberley, Mokala Nationwide Park is Sanparks’ latest park. It’s named after the camel thorn tree, a useful useful resource to the wildlife within the space. The park was established in 2007 and options rolling hills, open grasslands, and wooded valleys. Wildlife to look out for are the tsessebe antelope, Cape buffalo, and black rhino.
14. Mountain Zebra Nationwide Park (Japanese Cape)
Mountain Zebra Nationwide Park was established in 1937 to guard the endangered Cape mountain zebra, which was then getting ready to extinction. There are actually over 1000 within the park in addition to different wildlife, together with lions, cheetahs, black rhinos and buffaloes. The park is characterised by rugged mountain terrain, rolling grasslands, and deep valleys.
15. Namaqua Nationwide Park (Northern Cape)
Namaqua Nationwide Park in Flower Season
Namaqua Nationwide Park consists of the inland Skilpad wildflower reserve part and the coastal Groen River part, that are vastly completely different. The inland part consists primarily of valleys, plains, inexperienced hills and rocky outcrops, whereas the coastal part, which is lesser identified, includes rocky shores, white sandy seashores and dunes, and exquisite bays. In season, the park has a number of the most gorgeous wildflower shows on the planet. A spread of wildlife could be seen within the park like antelopes, meerkats and caracals. Within the coastal part, one can see seals and dolphins too.
Examine our expertise in Namaqua Nationwide Park.
16. Desk Mountain Nationwide Park (Western Cape)
Desk Mountain
Extending from Sign Hill in Cape City to Cape Level, Desk Mountain Nationwide Park is a part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage Website. It’s named after Desk Mountain, it’s most iconic attraction and one of many New 7 Wonders of Nature. A few of its different highlights are Boulders Penguin Colony, Cape Level, the Cape of Good Hope and Kirstenbosch Nationwide Botanical Backyard. The park helps an extremely various vary of natural world, and there are a myriad of actions within the space.
17. Tankwa Karoo Nationwide Park (Northern Cape)
Tankwa Karoo Nationwide Park is a protected space within the Karoo area, which is thought for its semi-arid local weather and sparse vegetation. Regardless of the cruel circumstances, the park has all kinds of antelopes, zebras, ostriches, and numerous different small creatures and hen species. The park additionally options a number of geological formations, such because the Elandsberg Mountains and the Tankwa River Canyon, in addition to quite a few climbing trails for guests to discover. There are nice stargazing alternatives too, because the park has minimal gentle air pollution and a transparent sky, making it an excellent location for astronomy fans.
18. West Coast Nationwide Park (Western Cape)
Langebaan Lagoon
Located on a stretch of the South African shoreline that’s famend for its rugged magnificence, the West Coast Nationwide Park is a scenic nature reserve with a various vary of plant, hen, and animal life. Established in 1985, the park is thought for its spectacular landscapes, secret seashores and pristine climbing trails. Throughout wildlflower season, it is likely one of the greatest locations within the Western Cape to see the spring flowers. One other spotlight of the park is the pristine Langebaan Lagoon, a preferred spot for water sports activities equivalent to windsurfing and kayaking. Guests also can see a spread of wildlife, together with the uncommon black harrier and southern proper whales (throughout whale watching season)
Examine our expertise in West Coast Nationwide Park
19. |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park (Northern Cape/ Namibia)
Straddling the border between South Africa and Namibia, this park is house to the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Panorama, a UNESCO World Heritage Website, and options a number of the most original landscapes and richest desert vegetation on the planet. The park is collectively managed by the native Nama folks and the South African Nationwide Parks.
Tip: When you plan to go to a number of parks, get the Wild Card, which provides you one yr’s limitless entry to 80+ Nationwide Parks, Reserves and Resorts round Southern Africa.
What number of of those South African nationwide parks have you ever visited? Which one is your favorite?
For extra info, go to South African Nationwide Parks.