Visiting Camdeboo National Park
Visiting Camdeboo National Park

Visiting Camdeboo National Park

The Camdeboo National Park is located in the Eastern Cape Province and surrounds the Karoo village called Graaff-Reinet.

This is the perfect stop when making your way to the Garden Route coast. We headed to the coast after we stopped at Nieu-Bethesda and Camdeboo. We paid the entrance fee at the gate and made our way to the viewpoints.

You can ask for a map or just follow the tar road that’ll lead you to the two famous viewpoints. But there are also so many other great things to do at the Camdeboo National Park.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means I get a commission if you buy a product through my link at no extra cost to you. By doing so, I can keep this blog going and continue to create helpful guides for you. Read more: Privacy Policy

Booking.com Search FlightsImage

PIN IT for later!

Basic information

Operation Time: Monday to Sunday – 07h00 to 19h00

Cost: R50 per person

Things to do at Camdeboo National Park

1. Visit the viewpoints

The viewpoints are probably the main attraction at the National Park. Once you’ve paid the entrance fee at the gate, you just continue straight on the tar road. There are turn-off roads that are gravel roads but just ignore these.

1.1 Toposcope viewpoint

The first viewpoint is the Toposcope, which will be located on your left side. Park your car here and make your way up the viewpoint. Here you’ll have a great view of Graaff-Reinet and the Nqweba dam.

They also recently added the famous yellow frame, which has the Valley of Desolation in the far background. One to add to your photo list.

camdeboo-national-park-entrance-sign
camdeboo-national-park-valley-of-desolation-yellow-frame
camdeboo-national-park-toposcope-viewpoint

READ MORE:

Things to do in Nieu-Bethesda

Things to do in Wilderness

1-Week Itinerary for the Garden Route

1.2 Valley of Desolation viewpoint

From the Toposcope viewpoint, make your way to the Valley of Desolation viewpoint. Park at the ablutions and walk the short walk up to the viewpoint. It is a steady climb at the beginning, but honestly easily manageable for the unfit.

Here you will find a platform overlooking the Valley of Desolation. So what is the Valley of Desolation? 

It refers to the 120 meters towering and rugged dolerite columns with the stunning Karoo as its backdrop. These columns were formed by volcanic and erosive forces millions of years ago. 

valley-od-desolation-camdeboo-national-park
camdeboo-national-park-valley-of-desolation

2. Go hiking

There are three trails to choose from:

2.1 The Crag Lizard Trail

This trail will take you about 45 minutes to complete. It is an easy 1.5 km trail that starts at the Valley parking area. Just follow the Crag Lizard logo.

2.2 The Eerstefontein Day walk.

There are three route options for this one which vary from 5km to 14km. The trails start and end at the Spandaukop gate.

2.3 The Gideon Scheepers Trail

This trail will take you about an hour to complete. It starts at the Gideon Scheepers Monument and ends at the Barbegat on the R63 to Murraysburg.

3. Visit the picnic sites

There are various picnic spots with braai and ablution facilities. These are:

  • Impunzi picnic area
  • Ribbokberg picnic area
  • Mountain drive picnic area
  • Babergat picnic area
  • Piekniekbos picnic area
  • Koedoeskloof braai sites

4. Game drives

North of the Nqweba Dam is 19km of gravel roads that will give you the opportunity to see some wildlife. These might include some buffalo, eland, black wildebeest, and different types of bucks.

5. Stay at a unique accommodation

If you want to spend the night, I would highly suggest you check out Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve (Book here). They have multiple options available. I would definitely suggest you check out their Pods which are secluded and absolutely beautiful!

Explore Graaff-Reinet a bit more

Graaff-Reinet is also a unique Karoo town with some really cute restaurants and shops. We stopped for breakfast at Our Yard and grabbed coffee at Maria’s Superior Coffee. It is such a relaxed vibe and the food was also really delicious. Definitely stop here whenever you are driving past or staying over.

maria's-coffee-graaff-reinet

Some great accommodation spots in the area also give that luxury Karoo vibes. Check out some of the accommodations:

EXPLORE MORE DESTINATIONS
Destination Map
recommended-reads
half-collared-kingfisher-hiking-trail

Canoeing in the Wilderness

One of my all-time favourite activities on the Garden Route was canoeing in the Wilderness. Now there are many things to do in the Garden Route, but here you...

Read More
mossel-bay-cave

What to do in Mossel Bay

Nestled along South Africa‘s renowned Garden Route lies Mossel Bay, a coastal town brimming with natural beauty and many activities for visitors to enjoy. From...

Read More
meisho-maru-ship-wreck

A day trip to Cape Agulhas

Standing proudly at the southernmost tip of the African continent, Cape Agulhas beckons travellers with its rugged beauty in South Africa. Learn about the rich...

Read More

Things to do in Knysna

Nestled in the heart of South Africa‘s Garden Route lies Knysna, a picturesque town renowned for its stunning natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and vibrant cultural...

Read More
map-of-africa

Top things to do in the Garden Route

Nestled within South Africa‘s captivating landscapes lies one of my favourite places – the Garden Route, a breathtaking stretch along the country’s southern coast. Renowned...

Read More
flower-season-south-africa

Flower season in South Africa

When is flower season in South Africa? When the wildflower season blooms, the country’s landscapes transform into a vivid kaleidoscope of colours. Every year from...

Read More
dragon-dune-sandbboarding

Sandboarding in Mossel Bay

Nestled along the breathtaking coastline of Mossel Bay, lies an adrenaline-seeker’s paradise: Dragon Dune. And yes, we slayed the Dragon! If there is one activity...

Read More
hiking-adventures
glentana-shipwreck

Visit the Glentana Shipwreck

Nestled along the rugged coastline of the Garden Route lies the Glentana Shipwreck. This hauntingly beautiful and eerie site attracts adventurers, history buffs, and photographers...

READ MORE
st-blaize-trail-mosselbay

St Blaize Hiking Trail

The St Blaize Trail is a popular hiking trail located in the Garden Route area in Mossel Bay. The trail hugs along the rugged coastline...

READ MORE
swartvlei-beach

Hike to Gericke’s Point

I’ve wanted to visit Gericke’s Point for quite some time now, and when we visited this beach back in April, we, unfortunately, went during high...

READ MORE

Want to save it for later? PIN IT!

facebookShare on Facebook
TwitterTweet
FollowFollow us
5 2 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Peter Ramakutoane
Peter Ramakutoane
2 years ago

Definitely looking foward to the explore the Karoo,this desolation valley reminds me of the same mountains in some China province. Thanx for the tips at least I know we’re to start when I visit the Karoo

0
Reply
Mariska Koortzen
Mariska Koortzen
Author
Reply to  Peter Ramakutoane
2 years ago

You will love it! Such a beautiful part of South Africa 😁 Enjoy your travels to the Karoo

0
Reply
error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

2
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x