KAROO NEWS - Be sure to visit the Camdeboo National Park this holiday.
Valley of Desolation
With an estimated 100 000 people who visit this site each year, the Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park is a premier tourist attraction in the region.
The viewpoint provides a breathtaking view of piled dolerite columns against the backdrop of the Great Karoo plains and a timeless sense of wonder at a landscape said to be the product of the erosive and volcanic forces of nature over 200 million years.
The road to the top of the valley was tarred in 1978. Today it provides tourists with easy access to the viewpoints with their panoramic views of the landscape.
Fauna and flora
Any visitor to the Camdeboo National Park will be surprised to discover the diversity of fauna and flora. There are over 220 recorded species of birdlife, 336 plants and 43 mammals. Catch a glimpse of the endangered Cape mountain zebra, plenty of kudu, buffalo, the majestic black eagle and the kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world.
Picnics, game viewing and birding
You have a choice of scenic picnic sites in the park, and for those a little more energetic, there are three hiking trails which range from one hour in duration to overnight hikes - be sure to bring your camera.
Game viewing and birding Presently, approximately 19km of gravel roadways provide visitors with the opportunity to view the entire range of indigenous species in their preferred habitats.
For birding enthusiasts, nearly 250 bird species have been recorded in the park.
Camdeboo National Park has six picnic areas:
- Impunzi picnic area in the game viewing area has four sites.
- Ribbokberg picnic area on the way to the Valley of Desolation has four sites.
- Mountain Drive picnic area has seven widely-spaced sites in the Mountain Drive area.
- Babergat picnic area has two sites adjacent to the Nqweba Dam wall.
- Piekniekbos picnic area has 12 sites on the western shore of the Nqweba Dam.
- The Boat Club picnic area has four sites (for the exclusive use of boat club members).
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