Glorious site to marvel over
Golden Gate park is a jewel that offers adventure, luxury… and snow
BRILLIANT shades of gold cast by the sun on the park’s sandstone cliffs are a sight to behold as one approaches the magnificent Golden Gate Highlands National Park nestled in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains.
This natural splendour is situated around 300km from Joburg and Durban and derives its name from these shades of gold cast on the magnificent geological formations that date back 195 million years.
Golden Gate prides itself in many significant attributes that includes the Brandwag rock which has become the symbol of this park and the Free State province in which it is situated.
Just a few kilometres from the small, picturesque town of Clarens, Golden Gate offers visitors to this area a site to marvel over, with more than 32 000 hectares of grassland biome which is home to a variety of mammals.
These include black wildebeest, eland, blesbok, oribi, springbok and Burchell’s zebra, among others.
It is a bird-lover’s paradise with sightings including the bearded vulture (lammergeier) and the equally rare bald ibis which breeds on the ledges in the sandstone cliffs.
For adventure lovers there is the Rhebok hiking trail, canoeing, horse riding, abseiling and for culture lovers a visit to the Basotho Cultural Village is a highlight of a visit to Golden Gate.
Golden Gate Highlands National Park is truly a park for all seasons, with its varied weather patterns. Chilly mornings turn to gloriously warm afternoons, but for Gautengers who want to see snow, it is the place to go.
This precious SANParks jewel of the Free State offers accommodation facilities for all types of visitors’ requirements.
One can cosy up indoors in winter in the luxurious cabins of the Highlands Mountain Retreat, or get out and explore the seemingly endless hills in summer at the camping site near Glen Reenen.
Activities include canoeing, horse-riding and abseiling – the list is long.
If it is luxury you want, visit the only hotel establishment found within the SANPaks national parks system at the Golden Gate Hotel whose doors are always open for comfort and convenience.