Golden Gate Highlands National Park covers 11,600 hectares and lies north of the Drakensberg near the Lesotho border. It protects unique highland habitat and is home to a rich flora and fauna.
The trees of Golden Gate Highlands National Park are called ‘Oldwood’ because of the ‘old’ appearance of their twisted trunks. Remarkably, 117 species of beetles belonging to 35 different families are associated with the Oldwood trees in the park.
Black wildebeest, eland, blesbok, oribi, springbok and plains zebra roam the lower foothills of the park, while the rare lammergeier and the equally rare southern bald ibis breed on high ledges in the sandstone cliffs. The park's many species of beautiful wildflowers are best appreciated on botanical walks and include nerine, gladiolus, arum lily, watsonia, fire lilies and red-hot pokers; protea species can be found higher up the hillsides.
Ideal for viewing: blesbok, black wildebeest, oribi, lammergeier, southern bald ibis
Where: Drakensberg, South Africa
Wildlife trips
This
wildlife location
is featured in the following itinerary:
This is a botanical safari to South Africa’s Drakensberg, Zululand & Kruger National Park. After exploring the superb Drakensberg Mountains, you spend the next few days watching wildlife in the Kruger. The tour culminates with time botanising and birding in a private game reserve in Zululand.
Find out more about Flora & Fauna of the Drakensberg & Zululand