Skip to content

Mountain Zebra National Park

All-in-One

This page displays all information relevant to this park/camp, except the following:



The craggy heights of the Mountain Zebra National Park's Bankberg embrace rolling plains and deep valleys, and have become an entrancing preserve for the Cape mountain zebra. The proclamation of the park in 1937 saved these animals from extinction, and currently their population stands at 300. Other mammals found here include Cape buffalo, black rhino, eland, black wildebeest, red hartebeest and gemsbok, while mountain reedbuck and grey rhebok frequent the higher areas. Caracal occupies the niche of primary predator.

5 things to seek

  • Black rhinoceros
  • Cape buffalo
  • Cape mountain zebra
  • Blue crane
  • Stanley's bustard

-- Top --



Accommodation

  • All accommodation is serviced daily and provided with bedding, towels and soap.
  • Doornhoek Guest House, a restored Victorian homestead, accommodating 6 persons, three bedrooms, en suite bathrooms (bath), fully equipped kitchen.
  • Four-bed family cottages, each with two bedrooms, bathroom and partially equipped kitchen.

Camping

  • Caravan and camp sites with communal ablution facilities. Camp sites equipped with 220V power points.
  • A maximum of six persons, one caravan with a side tent and one vehicle, or one tent and one vehicle, or one autovilla or one motorised caravan will be permitted per site.
  • The camping area is sited on a mixture of earth and grass. Lawn-type grass struggles to grow in the park conditions.

To view the accommodation prices, refer to Tariffs

-- Top --



Activities

Please note that all bookings for activities are done at the Park's reception.

  • Game viewing from own vehicle.
  • Guided game drives R100.00 per person ( adult ) R50.00 per Child (booking essential)
  • Short nature trails.
  • Impofu overnight hiking trail: R240.00 per person (booking essential)
  • Day and night drives - bookings essential (at Reception)
  • San cave paintings: R80.00 per person ( adult ) R40.00 per Child (booking essential)
  • Picnic area

Facilities

  • Fully licensed a la carte restaurant, also serving light refreshments.
  • Shop where curios and basic commodities may be purchased.
  • Barbecue and ablution facilities for day visitors.
  • Swimming pool for resident guests only.
  • Petrol and diesel are available in the restcamp.

Conference Facilities

  • Full conference facilities for a maximum of 20 people
  • Catering facilities available
  • Reservations: Tel: +27 12 426-5025
  • Fax: +27 12 426-5488

Wedding Receptions

  • Facilities available for small wedding receptions, maximum 20 people
  • Venue is adjacent to the Doornhoek Guest Cottage
  • The venue should be booked together with the guest cottage
  • Final arrangements should be confirmed with the park

-- Top --



Park Map

Click on the maps to enlarge.

Camp Layout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Park

Map & Design [above]: Robin Frandsen

 

-- Top --



Tariffs

Members of SANParks’ loyalty programme WILD do not pay conservation fees provided that proof of Identity and their WILD card are shown on arrival.

Daily Conservation Fee for 1 November 2007 to 31 October 2008

South African Citizens and Residents (with ID):

R17,00 per person, per day

SADC Nationals (with passport):

R35,00 per person, per day

Standard Conservation Fee (Foreign Visitors):

R70,00 per Adult
R35,00 per child under 12 per day.

 

Tariffs for 1 November 2007 to 31 October 2008
10% on camping and family cottages from 1 June to 13 June and 13 August to 19 September
Unit type
No. of units
Rate
Base
Max. beds
Add. Adult
Add. Child

20

R120,00

1–2

6 people per site

R40,00

R20,00

17

R500,00

1-2

4 single beds

R116,00

R58,00

Family Cottage FA4Z (accessible to the mobility challenged)

2

R500,00

1-2

4 single beds

R116,00

R58,00

1

R810,00

1-4

2 double and 2 single beds

R200,00

R200,00

-- Top --



Tips and Hints

  • Remember to bring along a hat, walking shoes, sun block, camera, binoculars and bird and mammal reference books. Hikers on both nature trails and overnight trail must carry sufficient water.
  • Warm clothes are essential for the winter months.
  • Visitors can only alight from vehicles at restcamp, picnic spots and certain marked areas.
  • Pets are not allowed in national parks.
  • Firearms must be declared at the entrance gate where they will be sealed. The seal will be broken upon departure.
  • Motorcycles or bicycles are not allowed.
  • Medical, pharmaceutical, vehicle repair and police services available in Cradock.

-- Top --



Vital Information

Travel / How to get there

The park is situated 12 km from the picturesque town of Cradock on the Middelburg-Graaff Reinett road, and is 280 km from Port Elizabeth, 800 km from Cape Town, 800 km from Johannesburg and 1 050 km from Durban. The access route to the park entrance and most of the internal tourist routes are gravel, whilst certain sections are tarred or concrete.

Climate

Summer is warm, and winter nights are cold. Rainfall averages some 390 mm per annum, with regular snowfall on high lying areas.

Office Hours

1 October to 31 March - 07:00 to 19:00
1 April to 30 September - 07:00 to 18:00

Gate Hours

1 October to 31 March: 07:00 - 19:00
1 April to 30 September: 07:00 - 18:00

Day Visitors

For people staying in Cradock, Mountain Zebra offers an excellent day visitor destination. There are a couple of picnic sites in the park to cater for day and overnight visitors.

Contact Information

For enquiries e-mail Mountain Zebra National Park or phone us on the following numbers:

Park: Tel +27 (0)48 881 2427 or 3434
Fax +27 (0)48 881 3943

-- Top --



Birding in Mountain Zebra National Park

Verreaux’s (Black) and Martial Eagle and Jackal Buz za rd soar impressively over this mountain habitat. Pale-winged Starling is very conspicuous on the mountain plateau, where Ostrich, Secretarybird, Blue Crane and Ludwig’s Bustard are the larger more visible species. Grey-winged Francolin, Ground Woodpecker, Large-billed (Thick-billed) and Eastern Long-billed Lark, Cape and Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Mountain Wheatear (Chat) and Orange-breasted Rockjumper should also be searched for, while Pink-billed Lark and African Rock Pipit are less common.

The wooded kloofs and acacia stands host species such as Red-fronted Tinker Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide, Red-throated Wryneck and Southern Tchagra.

(Compiled by Chris Patton)

-- Top --



Mammals

The highlight of the park’s mammalian fauna is obviously the ±300 or so Cape mountain zebra after which the park is named. These zebra differ from the plains or Burchell’s zebra, by having narrower stripes, absence of shadow stripes and orange facial colouration. Other noticeable species of the mountain plateau are the red hartebeest, eland and springbok. In the more wooded valleys visitors should search for kudu, and two of the park’s more recent reintroductions, the African buffalo and the black rhino.

Species list

Common Name
Specie Name
Order INSECTIVORA
Family Macroscelididae
 
Cape rock elephant-shrew
Elephantulus edwardii (?)
Rock elephant-shrew
Elephantulus myurus
Smith's rock elephant-shrew
Elephantulus rupestris
Round-eared elephant-shrew Macroscelides proboscideus (?)
Family Erinaceidae
 
South African hedgehog Erinaceus frontalis
Family Soricidae
 
Reddish grey musk shrew Crocidura cyanea
Forest shrew Myosorex varius
Family Chrysochloridae
 
Hottentot golden mole Amblysomus hottentotus
Order INSECTIVORA
ORDER CHIROPTERA
 
Family Molossidae
 
Egyptian free-tailed bat
Tadarida aegyptiaca (?)
Family Vespertilionidae
 
Cape serotine bat Eptesicus capensis
Schreibers' long-fingered bat
Miniopterus schreibersi (?)
Family Rhinolophidae
 
Geoffroy's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus clivosus
Order PRIMATES
Family Cercopithecidae
 
Vervet monkey
Cercopithecus pygerythrus
Chacma baboon Papio ursinus
Order CARNIVORA
Family Hyaenidae
 
Aardwolf Proteles cristatus
Family Felidae
 
Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus
Cape wild cat Felis lybica
Black-footed cat
Felis nigripes
Caracal Felis caracal
Family Canidae
 
Bat-eared fox
Otocyon megalotis
Silver fox Vulpes chama  
Blackbacked jackal
Canis mesomelas
Family Mustelidae
 
Cape clawless otter
Aonyx capensis
Striped polecat
Ictonyx striatus
Whitenaped weasel
Poeciligale albinucha
Family Viverridae
 
Small-spotted genet
Genetta genetta
Cape grey mongoose
Galerella pulverulenta
Water mongoose
Atilax paludinosus
Yellow mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Suricate Suricata suricatta
Order HYRACOIDEA
Family Procaviidae
 
Rock dassie Procavia capensis
Order TUBULIDENTATA
Family Orycteropodidae
 
Ant bear Orycteropus afer
Order LAGOMORPHA
Family Leporidae
 
Scrub hare Lepus saxatilis
Cape hare Lepus capensis
Natal red rock rabbit
Pronolagus crassicaudatus (?)
Smith's red rock rabbit Pronolagus rupestris
Order RODENTIA
Family Bathyergidae
 
Common mole-rat
Cryptomys hottentotus
Family Hystricidae
 
Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis
Family Sciuridae
 
Ground squirrel Xerus inauris
Family Pedetidae  
Springhare Pedetes capensis
Family Gliridae
 
Spectacled dormouse
Graphiurus ocularis
Woodland dormouse
Graphiurus murinus
Family Cricetidae
 
Pouched mouse
Saccostomus campestris
Bush karoo rat
Otomys unisulcatus
Short-tailed gerbil
Desmodillus auricularis
Hairy-footed gerbil
Gerbillurus paeba
Family Muridae
 
Grant's rock mouse
Aethomys granti
Namaqua rock mouse
Aethomys namaquensis
Multimammate mouse
Praomys natalensis
House rat
Rattus rattus
Striped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio
Order PERISSODACTYLA
Family Equidae
 
Cape mountain zebra
Equus zebra zebra
Order ARTIODACTYLA
Family Suidae
 
Bushpig Potamochoerus porcus
Family Bovidae
 
Eland Taurotragus oryx
Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Mountain reedbuck
Redunca fulvorufula
Red hartebeest
Redunca fulvorufula
Black wildebeest
Connochaetes gnou
Blesbok Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi
Springbok
Antidorcas marsupialis
Grey duiker
Sylvicapra grimmia
Steenbok
Raphicerus campestris
Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus
Grey rhebuck
Pelea capreolus
Cape Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Order PERISSODACTYLA
Family Rhinocerotidae
 
Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis

-- Top --



Vegetation

The park contains a rich variety of plant species and in spring the veld is covered with flowers. Fynbos and renosterveld bush flourish in the temperate climate where the rains come mainly during early summer and winter.

-- Top --



People with disabilities

Wheelchair Access

Accommodation

The park has 18 4-bed cottages and one 6-bed guesthouse. None of these have specific adaptations, such as roll-in showers and grab rails adjacent the toilet. All the cottages have steps at their entrances, although in a couple of these units the step is low enough for a strong wheelchair user to get in unassisted. There is also a 6-bed guesthouse, which has no steps or uneven surface prohibiting entry. All the units have baths which will only be appropriate for some people. In time the park will be able to upgrade selected units into properly accessible ones.

Main Complex

Access into and within the main complex is ramped. Accessible ablution facilities could be provided and access to the shop improved.

Other facilities and activities

The park has limited facilities and activities. Game viewing is done from the comfort of one's own vehicle. The picnic sites and walking trails are fairly rustic, with no formal adaptation provided for persons with mobility or sensory impairment.

(Please see additional information on Wheelchair Accessibility)

-- Top --






 divider

Have a question? Why not ask at the forums?

 divider












Did you find what you were looking for?
    

Let us know so that we can build you a better website!