Golden Gate Highlands National Park is located in Free State, South Africa, close to the border with Lesotho. The park covers an area of 340 km² (130 square miles). Its most important features are the golden, ochre, and orange-colored sandstone cliffs and rock formations, especially the Brandwag rock. The area also has many caves and shelters that contain San rock paintings. Animals found in the park include mongooses, eland, zebras, and more than 100 types of birds. It is the only national park in Free State and is more well-known for its beautiful landscape than for its animals. Scientists have discovered many ancient remains in the park, such as dinosaur eggs and bones.

Geography and climate

"Golden Gate" refers to the sandstone cliffs on both sides of the valley near the Golden Gate Dam. In 1875, a farmer named J.N.R. van Reenen and his wife stopped there during their journey to their new farm in Vuurland. He named the place "Golden Gate" after seeing the last sunlight of the sunset shine on the cliffs.

In 1963, an area of 47.92 km (11,840 acres) was designated as a national park to protect the area’s natural beauty. In 1981, the park was expanded to 62.41 km (15,420 acres), and in 1988, it was expanded again to 116.33 km (28,750 acres). In 2004, the park was announced to join with the nearby QwaQwa National Park. The combination with QwaQwa National Park was completed in 2007, increasing the park’s total area to 340 km (84,000 acres).

The park is located 320 km (200 mi) from Johannesburg and is near the villages of Clarens and Kestell, in the upper parts of the Little Caledon River. It is in the Rooiberge of the eastern Free State, in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains. The Caledon River forms the southern edge of the park and also marks the border between the Free State and Lesotho. The park’s elevation ranges from a 1,800 m (5,900 ft) plateau in the north to 2,700 m (8,900 ft) in the south. The highest point in the park—and also in the Free State—is Ribbokkop, which reaches 2,829 m (9,281 ft) above sea level.

The park is in the eastern highveld region of South Africa. It has a dry, sunny climate from June to August. Between October and April, the area experiences rain, hail, and thunderstorms. Heavy snow falls during winter. The park receives about 800 mm (31 in) of rainfall each year.

Vegetation

The park is home to a variety of highveld and mountain grassland plants. It has more than 60 types of grass, along with many kinds of bulbs and herbs. Each plant species blooms at a different time, so visitors can see different wildflowers in the park during the summer. The park also includes Afromontane forests and high-altitude Austro-Afro alpine grassland, which are rare in South Africa. The ouhout (Leucosidea sericea), a type of evergreen tree, is the most common tree in the park. Ouhout trees are a favorite habitat for beetles, and 117 types of beetles live on these trees in the park. The Lombardi poplars and weeping willows in the park are not native to the area, but they are kept because they are important for cultural and historical reasons in the eastern Free State. Other non-native plants, such as wattle and bluegum, are removed in an organized way.

Wildlife

Instead of bringing back one of the "big five" animals to the park, the sungazer lizard and water mongoose were reintroduced. Twelve types of mice, 10 types of meat-eating animals, and 10 kinds of antelope have been found in the park. The grey rhebok and the mountain reedbuck were already in the park when it was created.

Animals present in the park include:
• Eland
• Mountain reedbuck
• Oribi
• Black wildebeest
• Blesbok
• Burchell's zebra
• Male springbok
• Chacma baboon

More than 210 types of birds have been seen in the park. These include the rare bearded vulture and the endangered Cape vulture and bald ibis.

Birds found in the park include:
• Cape vulture
• Bearded vulture
• Verreaux's eagle
• Blue crane
• Secretary bird

Seven types of snakes live in the park. These include the puff adder, mountain adder, and rinkhals.

Fish found in the park include:
• Puff adder
• Mountain adder
• Rinkhals
• Carp
• Rainbow trout
• Chubbyhead barb

Geology and palaeontology

The geology of the park shows clear examples of Southern Africa’s geological history. The sandstone layers in the park are part of the Karoo Supergroup, a large group of rock layers. These sandstone layers were formed during a time when wind carried sand across the area, near the end of the Triassic Period. At that time, the climate in the region was slowly becoming drier until it turned into an arid desert. This desert had many sand dunes and dry areas with rare oases. The sandstone layers stopped forming when lava covered the desert 190 million years ago.

The park shows a sequence of rock layers from oldest to youngest (starting from the bottom): the Molteno Formation, Elliott Formation, Clarens Formation, and Drakensberg Formation. The yellow-brown Golden Gate and Brandwag cliffs are made of the Clarens Formation. This layer is 140 to 160 meters (460 to 520 feet) thick. The Drakensberg Formation is made of basaltic lava that covered the desert. This lava forms the mountain peaks in the park. On Ribbokkop, this layer is 600 meters (2,000 feet) thick. The Elliott Formation is a red mudstone layer where many dinosaur fossils have been found.

The oldest dinosaur embryos ever discovered were found in the park in 1978. These eggs are from the Triassic Period (220 to 195 million years ago) and contain fossilized baby skeletons of Massospondylus, an early type of dinosaur. More of these eggs have been found in the park since then. Other fossils found in the park include those of advanced cynodonts (animals with canine teeth), small thecodonts (animals with teeth firmly set in their jaws), and dinosaurs that looked like birds or crocodiles.

Accommodation

Accommodation in the park is available at Glen Reenen and Brandwag Rest camps. Glen Reenen camp offers caravans and campsites that have all the necessary facilities. The hotel used to be part of Brandwag Rest Camp. After recent renovations, it is now run separately by SANParks as the Golden Gate Hotel. The closest town to Golden Gate Highlands National Park is Clarens, located 17 kilometers to the west. Phuthaditjhaba is also easily reached by a well-maintained tar road that goes through the park's eastern entrance.

• Golden Gate Hotel
• Basotho Cultural Village landscape
• Basotho Cultural Village hut