Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Expert Reviews (12)
South Africa Parks
Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, former editor of Travel Zambia magazine and author of the Bradt Guide to Southern African Wildlife.
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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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.