Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Expert Reviews (12)
South Africa Parks
Alan is a travel writer and author of over 20 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Southern Africa and Zambia & Malawi.
Sunset Magic
Although not containing any of the Big 5 and no large predators, the flip side to this park is the hiking trails. This means you can really get out and see some African wilderness under your own steam. I have seen plenty of antelope here while wandering around the grasslands, including rhebok as well as zebra, jackals and cheeky baboons.
The best time of day to come is around sunset when a blaze of colour flares over the Maluti Mountains in a kaleidoscope of soft, surreal light. The open-air museum at the Basotho Cultural Village within the park is also worth a meander, although I found nearby township tours to be more interesting.
Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.
The sandstone cliffs of Golden Gate National Park
This is one of South Africa’s more scenic parks and a popular hiking destination. The main feature in this park is the sandstone cliffs, so typical of the Free State. As the name of the park suggests, they glow golden in the late afternoon light. There are a good number of day hikes available as well as the 2-day Rhebok trail. Game viewing is easier by car, but there are only 2 small game drive circuits available, which you can easily finish in a few hours. Animals you might spot include the rare black wildebeest, blesbok, zebra and the dainty oribi, usually found in pairs. Black-backed jackals are common, but sometimes hard to see in the tall grass. There are several accommodation options in the park, but I usually enjoy staying in the nearby quaint village of Clarens, which has a good selection of B&B’s, restaurants and art galleries. Golden Gate has its charm at any time of the year, but the dry winter months are the least scenic and scenery is in the end what this place is all about.
Kim is a travel writer who authored and updated over 15 guidebooks, including Lonely Planet's South Africa and Bradt's Tanzania guides.
All that shines is gold
The Free State’s only national park, Golden Gate is renowned more for its scenic beauty than its wildlife. That said, you can still spy eland, zebra and black wildebeest roaming around the hillside. The real attraction is the spectacular wind sculpted sandstone bastions, which glow against the vast turquoise sky and subtly change hues as the sun sets. Twitchers should also keep an eye out for the rare bearded vulture – which I was lucky enough to see on my last visit – and the equally rare bald ibis, which breeds on the ledges in the sandstone cliffs. With a number of hikes on offer from short hour-long rambles to the challenging half-day Wodehouse Kop walk as well as fossil tours and scenic drives, this park will appeal to anyone looking for a peaceful weekend getaway.
Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
Cliffs of gold
Set in the northern foothills of the vast and spectacular Drakensberg range, this park is another one set aside mainly for its scenery and excellent hiking opportunities. The focal point is the burnished sandstone formation for which the park is named, and this is seen to best effect is the soft light of early morning or late afternoon. The opportunities for day walks are limitless, and while it isn’t exactly a Big Five reserve, Golden Gate does harbour plenty of less glamorous wildlife – it ids a great lace to see endemic such as black wildebeest, blesbok and grey rhebok alongside more widespread species such as the majestic eland and tiny oribi. Two charismatic birds associated with the park are the cliff-breeding southern bald ibis, a striking South African endemic, and the utterly spectacular including the rare lammergeyer (bearded vulture).
Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.
Less a Wildlife Park, More a Wilderness Experience
It’s sometimes said that the best things come in small packages and this little park (just 116km2) is a real gem for anyone who wants to get their boots on the trails among some of the most spellbinding mountain landscapes in Africa.
There’s some unusual wildlife too and the Blesbok Loop road gives you a chance of spotting grey rhebok, black wildebeest, eland, mountain reedbuck, zebra and oribi. This is also fantastic birding country with some varied habitats from riverine woodland, montane forest and vast expanses of grassland. There’s a vulture restaurant where you’ll see Cape vultures and, if you’re lucky, bearded vultures.
But it’s the hiking that draws visitors. An early morning hike up to Brandwag Buttress (the soaring ‘sentinel’ that gave Golden Gate its name) is achievable for any moderately fit walker. There are seven other trails in the park and, while most are accessible without a guide thanks to good signage and maps, the intrepid 28km Ribbok Trail is not to be taken lightly. The legendary Cathedral Cave Hike can only be walked with a guide and must be booked in advance.
For an insight into the region’s cultural background be sure to spend a few hours at the excellent Basotho Cultural Village, a community-run initiative on the location of what was once a traditional Basotho community. The buildings and compounds have been faithfully reconstructed and local (English speaking) guides provide a highly informative insight into Basotho history, traditions and also current lifestyle.
To go even further back into history – much, much further – join Clarens-based paleontologist Gideon Groenewald on a fossil-hunting tour where you can even walk in (although, preferably, alongside) the footsteps of early dinosaurs.
Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
1 person found this review helpful.
Green grasslands against a backdrop of golden rocks
Golden Gate is named for its dramatic towering sandstone buttresses that glow in warm orange and yellow hues in the sunlight. These shelter some richly-grassed plains in the bottom of the valley. You’re unlikely to see many animals from the main road (the R712) that neatly bisects the park, but on the looping and higher drives, I’ve seen a few black wildebeest, zebra and springbok. Hikers may also encounter mountain reedbuck or eland and perhaps the shy bald ibis and bearded vulture at the top of the escarpment. I’ve been here when it snows, when an already beautiful landscape transforms into a black-and-white picture-postcard view, (though a heated chalet or hotel room is mandatory at this time). The park isn’t worth a special effort to get to – it’s small and not very time-consuming – but the drive through is quite lovely.
Lucy is travel writer for a range of publications, including Lonely Planet's guides to Africa, Southern Africa and South Africa.
1 person found this review helpful.
A sunset spectacular
Golden Gate is not a place you come for large game viewing. None of the Big Five inhabits this mountainous park, although you can expect encounters with wildebeest, zebra and the largest antelope, the eland. Come instead for spectacular sunsets as the day's last rays hit the sandstone rock formations, turning them varying shades of orange, red and gold. Come armed with a picnic and meander off the main paved roads to find empty lookout points over the mountains, cliffs and rivers. It's also a hiker's haven, with walks ranging from half an hour to a couple of days, although for me it is simply a spot to fill your camera's memory card with glowing images at dusk.
Christopher is a British travel writer and has contributed to various Fodor's guidebooks and a range of travel magazines.
1 person found this review helpful.
The foothills of the mighty Drakensberg
Golden Gate National Park is more about the scenery and getting “out and about” than the wildlife. Set in the northern foothills of the dramatic and dreamy Drakensberg mountain range, this park is a paradise for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and the lack of Big 5 game means you won’t bump into any unwanted visitors whilst exploring on foot.
Having said that, there’s still plenty of plains game around, including zebra, wildebeest and eland, which is Africa’s biggest antelope. The Drakensberg is also popular with birders. The critically endangered bearded vulture is surely the most spectacular bird sighting to be had here and its massive wingspan makes for great images against the backdrop of the rugged mountains or as it soars over the green valleys below.
With each hour that passes during the day here, the mountains take on different hues and dimensions depending on the shadows cast by the trajectory of the sun. Sunsets are always memorable and so are the storms. The Drakensberg is probably my favourite place in South Africa to get away from the pace of urban life and clear my head.
Harriet is a zoologist with more than 20 years’ experience. She has the privilege of working with the world’s top wildlife photographers and photo-guides.
1 person found this review helpful.
Scenery and hiking.
You go to Golden Gate Highlands National Park for the dramatic scenery and glorious hiking – rather than a big game safari experience. Golden Gate is situated in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Free State, forming the northern part of the Drakensberg arc. The park is named after the golden sandstone cliffs, which seem to glow in the sun. There is game here, including eland, zebra, reedbuck and black wildebeest, especially on the higher grasslands. We failed to see the bearded vulture, but did have great sightings of other mountain specials including bald ibis and ground woodpecker. Best of all are the well-marked hiking trails, varying in length, with route information available at the park reception. The self-catering chalets high up at the Highlands Mountain Retreat must have some of the best views of all SANParks accommodation across South Africa!
Dale is a multi-award-winning writer and photographer with more than 500 published magazine articles featured in magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Travel Africa, and CNN Travel.
1 person found this review helpful.
Don your hiking boots
If, like me, you love to ramble through magnificent mountain scenery, then the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is the place for you. I last went there in winter, which was flippin’ freezing. But trekking through frosty grasslands with snowcapped cliffs all around made me feel alone, and free, and very much in awe of nature. There were frozen waterfalls, and crunchy grasses, and there were zebras who stood in shivering clusters and blew steam from their mouths as if they were taking a vape break.
A ski-lodge-style hotel, with awesome views, offers sanctuary from the cold. But go to the park in summer, and you will find amicable weather, afternoon thunderstorms, fields of green grass, and beautiful mountains with swirling mists. Sunsets can be particularly memorable in Golden Gate thanks to the many dramatic sandstone formations that look as if they are glowing from within.
The park’s campsite is also lovely, and has a river to splash around in, as well as plenty of shady trees. But don’t try swimming in winter. For those who don’t (or can’t) hike, there are a number of roads to explore, and if a ride in the saddle tickles your fancy, the park offers guided trails for experienced and novice horse riders alike. Golden Gate isn’t resplendent in wildlife, but there are a few specialties to keep an eye out for, including bearded vultures, herds of eland, and the rare and elusive oribi.
James is a travel writer and author of many Lonely Planet guides, including senior author of the guide to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.
2 people found this review helpful.
Big skies and mountains
Covering a glorious swathe of the Free State's eastern highlands, Golden Gate is one of South Africa's most underrated parks. Driving through, en route between the northern Drakensberg and the arty town of Clarens, you'll see antelopes bounding across the plains and mountains rising on the Lesotho border. The park's four-legged inhabitants include zebras and wildebeest, but its chief appeal is the opportunity to spot animals in such a stunning setting. Its name comes from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the sandstone cliffs, especially the imposing Brandwag rock. Two side roads loop right into this landscape from Rte 712, and a two-day hiking trail leads up Generaalskop (2732m), with views of the Drakensberg and Maluti Mountains. There may be no Big Five here, but the shimmering grasslands and sandstone bluffs are a serene environment for appreciating the area's wide horizons.
Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, former editor of Travel Zambia magazine and author of the Bradt Guide to Southern African Wildlife.
3 people found this review helpful.
Mountain trails
The western Drakensberg is not really a place for big game viewing – there is no Big Five here – but this park offers a scenic location in which to enjoy the mountain air and get to know the unusual fauna and flora of South Africa’s high-altitude grasslands. The park gets its name from the sandstone buttress of Brandwag Rock, which rears like a galleon over the reserve. Along the Blesbok Loop road, you should find some of the highveld antelope species, such as grey rhebok, black wildebeest and oribi, while birders should keep eyes peeled for such specials as cape vulture, bald ibis and black stork.
The park’s family-orientated accommodation complex, with its sports facilities and outdoor activities, rather detracts from the wilderness vibe. But hikers can get a better feel for the rugged terrain by following any of the numerous day trails – or, for the more serious, the 31km overnight Rhebok Trail. On one hike, I watched lammergeyers driving baboons away from their nesting ledge and sending a herd of shy mountain reedbuck galloping away across the hillside. The park’s cultural attractions are also worth a look, including its numerous cave paintings and the Basotho Cultural Village.