Located on the Scenic Highlands Tourism Route and close to, in the north-eastern part of the central province of South Africa, the park was established in 1963 to protect the sandstone rocks and caves and grasslands of the Highlands. Early Khoisan hunters and gatherers left hundreds of well-preserved rock paintings to tell the tales of their lives and adventures to their descendants.

A Basotho Cultural Village on the eastern side of the Golden Gate Park depicts the lifestyle and heritage of the Basotho people and on the western side, the delightful and picturesque village of Clarens has a completely different culture.

Ancient caves and weathered sandstone formations are proof of the effects that water, wind and temperatures have on the environment over millions of years. An array of fossilised dinosaur bones, roots, ferns and footprints can be seen in the park. Fossilised Triassic dinosaur eggs were found in 1973. Golden Gate is the only South African National Park protecting the threatened grassland biome and rare wildflowers which are endemic to this region.

Mild highveld summers with afternoon thunderstorms and cold winters with temperatures plummeting to -9 and -15 are experienced, with occasional snowfall turning the whole area into a picturesque winter wonderland. The average rainfall varies between 760 to 1250 mm per year.

Highland-Sourveld and Themeda-Festuca are the two dominant veld types with large quantities of Old Wood trees to be found. These trees belong to the rose family (Rosaceae). A total of 117 species of beetles, belonging to 35 different families can be found in the park.

The rare Bearded Vulture and Bald Ibis is still to be seen in the caves and cliffs they breed in, as it falls within the protected area of the Golden Gate Park. Various mammals like the Burchell’s Zebra, Black Wildebeest and Eland can also be seen and around 140 different bird species have been identified. A hide at the vulture restaurant gives bird lovers an opportunity to watch these birds closely.

The Glen Reenen Camp has several facilities available, including a shop, restaurant, bar and filling station. Conference facilities for up to 250 delegates and a wedding venue is on site and optional catering services are provided.

The Wilgenhof Environmental Education Centre has facilities to accommodate 80 children in dormitory-style rooms. Optional catering services are available, and the facilities include sports fields and adventurous activities.

Amenities List

• General Dealer
• Filling Station
• Curio shop
• Licensed restaurant
• Coffee shop
• Ladies’ Bar
• Conference facilities for up to 250 delegates
• Wedding venue
• Catering services available
• Wilgenhof Environmental Education Centre
  • 80 Dorm beds
  • 12 Beds for facilitators
  • Spacious hall
  • Well-equipped kitchen
  • Canoeing, abseiling and guided walks included
  • Horse riding additional and optional
  • Meals available on request
  • Sports field and lapa available
• Pub with log fire at the hotel
• Picnic sites for day visitors

Attracting guests who enjoy being active by doing hikes, mountain biking and other adventurous activities, as well as those who appreciate the peace and quiet and being surrounded by breathtaking scenery, there is a lot on offer in and around Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

Activities List

• Self-guided game viewing drives
  • Oribi Loop – 4.2 km
  • Blesbok Loop – 6.7 km
• Hikes, walks and trails
  • Ribbok Hiking Trail – 28 km
  • Cathedral Cave – ± 5 hours
  • Wodehouse Peak Trail – ± 4 hours
  • Mushroom Rock Trail - ± 1 hour
  • Echo Ravine Trail - ± 1 hour
  • Boskloof Trail - ± 1 hour
  • Holkrans Trail - ± 1 hour
  • Brandwag Buttress Trail - ± 1 hour
• Horse riding
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Guided excursions
• Exploring caves
• Mountain biking
• Environmental Education Centre
  • National Parks and Conservation
  • Eco Moods
  • Stones and bones
  • Waterways and wild weather
  • People and the past

List of activities close to Golden Gate Highlands

• Archery
• Arts and crafts
• Fly fishing
• Game farms
• Golf
• Katse Dam
• Paintball
• Abseiling
• Zipline
• Wall climbing
• Video shows during school holidays
• Bowls
• View Bushman paintings
• Basotho Cultural Village
  • Cultural Route
  • Herbal Trail
  • Museum Tour
• Environmental education courses
• Trout fishing
• Hot air ballooning
• Water sports
  • Canoeing at Gladstone Dam
  • White water rafting
• Mountain bike rides
• Visit artists’ village of Clarens
• Quad and motorbike trails
• Rock Art
• Shooting
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Trip to Lesotho

• Nature Trails
• Brandwag buttress rock formation
• Ancient Cathedral Cave
• Spectacular rock formations
• Fossilised dinosaur bones, roots, ferns and footprints
• Fossilised Triassic dinosaur eggs
• Zuluhoek lookout point
• Basotho Cultural Village
• Weapons and equipment used by Basotho People
• Vulture Restaurant
• Generaalskop viewpoint
• Oribi basin
• Drakensberg
• Clarens

• As outdoor lighting in camps is limited, a torch/headlamp is required when walking outside at night.
• Vehicle repair services, medical services and police services are available in Clarens (17 km from the park) and Bethlehem (60 km from the park).
• Bring a hat, walking shoes, sun block, camera and binoculars.
• Make sure that you always have a good supply of water when doing a hike.
• Plane clothing for extreme temperatures. Cool and light clothing for summer and warm clothing for winter.
• The area is prone to sudden weather changes.

• The public road runs through the Golden Gate Highlands National Park and therefore there is no entrance gate or entrance fee charged.
• Day visitors are welcome to drive through the park.

Travelling from:

• Cape Town: 1 259 km
• Upington: 862 km
• Johannesburg: 320 km
• Durban: 370 km
• Gqeberha: 858 km
• Bloemfontein: 295 km
• Clarens: 19 km

There is no entrance gate to Golden Gate Highlands National Park Office hours is from 07:00 to 17:30 from Monday to Sunday