Augrabies Falls National Park

About 40 kilometers northwest of the town of Kakamas, in the North Cape province, lies the Augrabies Falls National Park. Here the mighty Orange River squeezes itself through a narrow, 250-meter deep ravine carved into the massive granite. Just before the falls, the river, together with a number of islands and smaller streams, has a width of approximately three kilometers. If the water in the river is high, 405 million liters of water fall into the canyon every second. Not only through the main channel but also through 18 smaller channels. This makes the Augrabies Falls the sixth largest waterfall in the world.

The falling water makes a lot of noise and the area owes the Khoi name Aukoerebis, ‘the place of the big noise’. Over the course of millions of years, the river has carved a gap through granite over a distance of 18 kilometers. The smooth, polished walls worn by water are silent witnesses to the enormous forces of nature.

The Augrabies Falls National Park has a total area of 13,600 hectares and is located in one of the driest areas of South Africa, something that is reflected in a kind of moon landscape. The vegetation that you see here is typical of the drier parts of the southern Kalahari.

Spectacular places that you should definitely visit are: the waterfalls themselves of course, Moonrock which is a prominent attraction of Augrabies Falls. Walking to the top will give one of the best views of the park and the surrounding area.
Swart Rante, a rock formation that forms a special separation in the landscape. You will visit Oranjekom and Ararat for the spectacular view and to spot wildlife. It is the place to see the Verraux eagles.

Finally you will visit Echo Corner, from where you have a beautiful view and can produce a sound that will haunt you for a long time.

There are 47 game species in the park, including leopards, but these are not often seen. The rocky plains form an ideal living environment for klipspringers and klipdas. Other species present are giraffes, springbok, chacma baboon, green meerkat, mountain zebras and terrestrial wolf.
Bird lovers also enjoy here, to name but a few, here you can find numerous weavers, falcons, chickens, larks, buzzards, canaries, finches, ducks, pigeons, eagles, herons, flycatchers, owls, sparrows, swallows, woodpeckers and hammerhead. see. Don’t overlook the small animals like butterflies, turtles and lizards, but especially the snakes!
Activities
-You can spot game from your own car
-Around the waterfall is a part of the park where you can take long walks.
There is a Klipspringer Hiking trail, a walking route spread over 3 days (2 nights) for up to 12 people, booking in advance is essential!
-At the reception you can get hiking maps for a Dassie Nature trail route, a 5-kilometer walk from where you can walk to Arrowpoint, Potholes and Moonrock.
– Night drives can be booked, a minimum of 4 people and this also applies; book in advance to avoid disappointment.
– Be surprised during the Gariep 3-in-1 Adventure tour, where you can go canoeing, hiking and mountain biking. This trip must be booked in advance.
-On the official roads it is allowed to go mountain biking, take care of your own bike.
-Follow Wilderness Road, a 94-kilometer long 4×4 trail that will take approximately 6 hours to complete. Halfway through the tour are toilet facilities and there is a picnic / braai spot.
– Opening times of the park 7:00 am – 6:30 pm
– You can drive safaris in a separate part of the park.
You can stay in this beautiful area on a camping spot, in chalets and in family cottages: Accommodation Augrabies Falls National Park.
Conservation Fees: the South African National Park administration has set a daily entrance fee that applies to all parks. If you are going to visit several SAN Parks in South Africa, it may be useful to purchase a Wildcard.

All images/information on this page: © SANParks.org 2004-2016

A foretaste?

One of our customers documented his visit to the Augrabies Falls National Park in 2017: https://vimeo.com/250291161

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