Karoo National Park

The Karoo National Park is 750 square kilometres of pure, rugged charm, located in the southwestern part of the country within the semi-desert of a massive dry land called the Great Karoo. The jaw-dropping geology is what steals the show here – with ancient rock formations and sweeping plains, it feels like you stepped into a natural time capsule. The park’s rocks, made of layers of red mudstone and sandstone, are packed with ancient fossils dating back a staggering 250 million years (long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth!). And with the park being a true ‘raptor hotspot’ with 23 species of birds of prey, the Jurassic Park backdrop is complete!

Once just a pit stop for road-trippers, the Karoo National Park has evolved into a destination in its own right. Whether you’re into mountain biking, guided nature walks, or thrilling game drives, this park offers plenty of reasons to stay longer and explore its wild heart. The stunning scenery is just part of the package! Alongside a big (though not quite Big Five) presence of herbivore giants and easy wildlife sightings, Karoo National Park is famous for its large population of Verreaux’s Eagles and many other kinds of sharp-beaked birds. Trust us, this is one stop you won’t want to rush through!

The even bigger Great Karoo

The Great Karoo is a vast and unforgiving landscape of which the Karoo National Park is but a small portion. Being the largest ecosystem in South Africa, the Karoo is home to a fascinating diversity of life, all having adapted to survive in these harsh conditions. It covers almost 40% of South Africa’s land surface and straddles four of the country’s nine provinces! South Africa’s Karoo is a biologically distinct ‘country’ that sprawls over 400,000 square kilometres, making it a little bigger than Germany. 

Land of Thirst and Fossils

The Karoo is believed to be a Khoi word that means Land of Thirst. The unique features of this ‘thirsty’, desert-like dryland draw tourists, researchers and scientists from all over the world. But again, the fascinating geology of the Great Karoo is nowhere better portrayed than in the Karoo National Park. Many of the fossils are found in the sedimentary rocks that were originally laid down here 25 million years ago. When you walk the fossil trail in the park you learn all about it!

Survival of the Toughest

Because of the sparse vegetation on the dryland, game viewing in Karoo National Park is easily facilitated. Large herbivores such as red hartebeest, eland, zebra, kudu, klipspringer and springbok are all regularly seen. All in all, there are 66 different mammal species found in the park today, several of which (such as the black rhino and buffalo) were reintroduced after the historic populations were hunted to extinction. The Karoo National Park also hosts 59 different species of reptiles (including 6 different tortoises and 35 lizard species) and at least 200 species of birds. The park is well-known for its large population of Verreaux’s Eagles and is considered a bird-of-prey hotspot.

Activities in Karoo National Park

• Day and night game drives
• Fossil trail (a 400m long trail which depicts the geology and palaeontology of the Great Karoo)
• Bird watching
• Guided nature walks (with lots of information about the unique Karoo ecosystems)
• Mountain bike single-tracks

How to get there

The park is 12 kilometres from the nearest town of Beaufort West in the Western Cape. Cape Town is about 500 kilometres or a six-hour drive south of the park, while Johannesburg is about 1000 kilometres north of the park. The closest domestic airport is in George, 300 kilometres from the park.

Climate

The Karoo National Park’s annual rainfall averages about 200mm. Summer rainfall comes mostly in the form of thunderstorms or cold fronts from the Cape. The winters are frosty and chilly, as temperatures drop to below 0 degrees Celsius, with snow visible on the peaks of mountains. Summers are hot, with temperatures rising up and above 40 degrees Celsius.

Best time to visit Karoo National Park

Winter days are sunny, but nights can dip to a chilly -5°C, so pack smart if you’re visiting between June and August. The ideal time to travel is from March to October when you’ll avoid the scorching summer heat (December to February can be sweltering). Spring, especially in September and October, has its own charm as parts of the dry Karoo transform into a colourful sea of wildflowers.