Mountain Zebra National Park is near Cradock in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
This park was proclaimed in 1937. At that time, the Cape Mountain Zebra was an endangered animal, but thanks to the conservation efforts of farmers, there was still a small herd of these animals left. A farmer, Hans Jurgen Lombard donated 11 zebras to the park and today the herd has grown to more than 1,000 zebras.
What makes this park so special is that not only are there many different wild animals to see, but the scenery is beautiful too.
The park was created to protect the endangered Cape Mountain zebra. However, it is not just a sanctuary for that species. It also safeguards the rare and endangered Cape buffalo, cheetah, and the enigmatic aardwolf.
Mountain Zebra National Park is crucial to South Africa’s conservation efforts. The park is home to many plant and animal species. The park contributes to conservation primarily through active conservation programs.
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Even if you don’t see any animals, you can admire the beautiful surrounding grassland and mountains. It’s also unique for its guided cheetah tracking, which gives you probably the highest chance of seeing a cheetah in the wild anywhere in Africa.
Visitors can view the Big Five except the elephant. Buffalo occurs in areas with acacia thickets and wooded valleys. Black rhinos, though present, are hard to spot. Lion and the Cape mountain leopard are elusive.
Similarly, the mysterious brown hyena does not like to be spotted, either. Cheetahs are easier to encounter. The park is also home to rarely spotted lesser mammals like aardwolf, bat-eared fox, and caracal.
Nocturnal species such as Cape fox, aardvark, genet, black-footed cat, and striped polecat are seen on night drives.
The park is home to over 700 mountain zebra. Antelope are plentiful, and the chances are that you will encounter eland, kudu, blesbok, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, and springbok.
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Vervet monkeys and Chacma baboons are common. Black-backed jackals, yellow mongooses, and ground squirrels are seen often.
A wide variety of birds occur here, especially big species like secretary birds, blue cranes, Verreaux's eagles, and many more.
Mountain Zebra National Park is renowned for its breathtaking wildlife. The park is home to diverse animals, but the most iconic is the Cape Mountain zebra. This zebra is considered the park’s flagship species with its striking black-and-white stripes and majestic appearance.
One of the most fascinating animals to spot is the lion. Another iconic species of the park is the black wildebeest. These striking animals can be spotted grazing in the grasslands, and their dark coats make them stand out in the park’s landscape.
The park’s iconic species, including the Cape Mountain zebra, lions, eland, and black wildebeest, make for an unforgettable experience.
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The park also plays a vital role in educating the public about the importance of conservation. The park offers a range of educational programs for visitors, including guided tours and talks by park rangers.
The only accommodation within Mountain Zebra National Parks is owned by SANParks and can be booked online.
There are different accommodation options in the park. You can either camp, or stay in a cottage or rock chalet. There is also a guest house inside the park.
The cottages are self-catering, but there is also a restaurant where you can enjoy meals.
There’s the park reception, a fuel station (open 7am-5pm, card only), shop, restaurant and scenic pool for overnight guests.
Family cottages can accommodate up to four people in two bedrooms - one with a double bed and one with two single beds. They also have an equipped kitchen, lounge, TV, cosy fire, bathroom and AC for summer.
The smaller cottages have one bedroom with two single beds, an equipped kitchen, lounge, TV, fireplace, bathroom and AC. In the lounge is a sleeper couch which can be used either by two children or one extra adult.
Rock chalets have two bedrooms - one with a double bed and one with two single beds. Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and outdoor shower. The rock chalets all have an equipped kitchen, TV, fireplace for winter and AC for summer.
There are 25 spots in the lovely campsite, all with power and a braai. You can’t reserve a specific spot, you just have to pick your favourite spot that isn’t taken when you arrive.
There are shared ablutions and a nice communal kitchen with a fridge and freezer, sinks, microwave and stovetops. Most sites have nice views over the park but not all have shade. Make sure you keep a neat camp and clear away all food waste.
There are two mountain cottages in the park and you have to have a high-clearance vehicle to reach them.
Both huts have two bedrooms - one with a double bed and the other with two single beds. There’s no electricity in these huts, but there is an equipped kitchen with a stove and fridge powered by gas and solar, and a fireplace. The bathroom is outside and has a toilet and a hot shower.
There’s one lovely old restored guesthouse for up to six people overlooking Doornhoek Dam. It contains three bedrooms, two with double beds and one with two single beds. Each bedroom has its own bathroom.
It’s only 15 minutes drive from Cradock to the gate of Mountain Zebra National Park, making it a good place to stay outside of the park.
There’s no public transport so you have to drive. The quickest route follows Highway 1 then turns off east in Beaufort West (near Karoo National Park). Alternatively, it’s only slightly longer to drive through the Klein Karoo via Barrydale and Oudtshoorn. From Addo Elephant Park it’s a roughly 2hrs30 drive to the entrance of Mountain Zebra.
Mountain Zebra entrance fees are R60/R30 for South Africans and R240/R120 for foreigners per adult/child per day. If you stay one night in the park, you only pay the entrance fee for one day but get to stay for two.
Entrance to the park is free with a WildCard.
The park’s main gate and reception are open 7am to 7pm in Oct-Mar and 7am-6pm in Apr-Sep.
Short sections of the park’s roads are tarred, while the majority are dirt roads. You can either drive through the park yourself to see the wildlife or you can make use of guided drives.
Officially, there’s a difference between Lookout Points, where you can get out of your car, and Viewpoints where you should remain in your vehicle.
There are several lookout points in the park.
After driving around for almost three hours - and seeing many animals - we decided to drive to the picnic area to enjoy lunch.
Just after we finished eating, it started to rain. According to the weather forecast it would rain for two hours and we decided to drive back to our cottage until the rain subsided. After the rain stopped, it was already late afternoon.
Just after we passed the dam, a car came from the front. They stopped next to us and said we might be lucky to see four lionesses on the river bank. We only had to drive about 200m further and look closely to our right. Have we seen them?
While we were driving, we saw a road on the other side leading up a hill. It was part of the Kranskop Loop we were on and we could see it going all the way to the top. We stopped at the lookout point (where one can climb out while enjoying the view, but also look out for lions).
We now followed the road to the Sonnenrust 4×4 Trail. The Sonnenrust 4×4 Trail is 14km/8.6 miles long. We saw a lot of wildlife on this trail. A tree that one sees everywhere in the park is the Acacia Karroo (commonly known as the Karoo Sweet Thorn). Vervet monkeys thrive around these trees which supply to all their food needs.
Big drops of rain started to fall towards the end of our drive on the 4×4 trail.
Things to do in Mountain Zebra National Park
Most people visit Mountain Zebra National Park to go on a self-drive safari.
1. Go on a Self-Drive Safari
Consider a self-drive safari if you want an exciting and unique way to explore the park. The park offers rental vehicles and the option to bring your own. The self-drive safari option is perfect for those who want to experience the park’s natural beauty up close. Additionally, the park has informative boards along the routes, which provide information on the park’s flora and fauna.
The gate from the rest camp to the safari area is open from 6am to 7pm in Oct-Mar (summer) and 7am to 6pm in Apr-Sep (winter). This is slightly different from the main gate to the park, which always opens at 7am.
The Rooiplaat Loop is best for animals, especially antelope, and you’ll see herds of springbok, hartebeest, wildebeest and mountain zebras grazing on the plateau. The Kranskop Loop is best for scenery and you’ll have amazing views of the surrounding arid mountains and nearby rock formations.
There are two picnic sites within the park, Fonteinkloof and Weltevrede. Both picnic sites have picnic tables, braai stands and ablutions. Fonteinkloof is mainly designed for day visitors as it’s quite close to the park rest camp and has a swimming pool that day visitors can use (the pool at the rest camp is only for overnight guests). Weltevrede is on the Kranskop Loop and a lovely place to stop for a break and to stretch your legs.
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2. Take a Guided Game Drive
Guided game drives take place in the park in the morning, at sunset or evening as it’s getting dark. Drives last two hours, and the sunset drive includes a stop for a sundowner.
Morning game drives leave at 5am in summer or 6am in winter. Some of the lions wear tracking collars, and your guide may be able to find the pride based on these.
Sunset game drives take place at 5pm in summer or 3:30pm in winter. As the sun sets you’ll stop and get out to have a drink and some snacks.
Evening game drives leave at 7:30pm in summer and 6pm in winter.
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