Overview–southafrica

Mountain Zebra National Park

Mountain Zebra National Park is the best place to see the endangered endemic Cape mountain zebra. Sightings are guaranteed on a day visit. The game drive circuit takes you through stunning mountain scenery with several viewpoints. Black rhino, lion, buffalo and cheetah are also present, but sightings are hit-and-miss.

Best Time to Visit

The park is primarily focused on mountain zebra and is not mainly about seeing the Big 5 animals. Since mountain zebra can be spotted throughout the year, the warmer summer months from October to March are more comfortable. Due to the high altitude, the winter months are very cold. The park is very scenic, and the landscape is more beautiful during the summer months.

May to September –Dry Season – Winter

There's little water in the bush, so wildlife tends to cluster around water sources
Lots of sunshine
A chance of snow in the mountains
It gets very cold as soon as the sun sets and it stays cold until mid-morning

October to April –Wet Season – Summer

There are many newborn animals – the mountain zebra foals in particular
The landscape is covered in flowers and vegetation
Migratory birds make for a more varied birding experience
Temperatures are pleasant, and even though it is the wet season, it doesn’t rain all that much
It might be busier during the end-of-year school holiday, which typically runs from the start of December into the second week of January.

Scenery

The surrounding Bankberg Mountains are a magnificent backdrop to the park. The circuit takes in several viewpoints overlooking the rugged landscape of mountains, grassy plains, bushy hillsides, and rocky gorges, bisected by the densely wooded banks of the Wilgerboom River.

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Jan

Feb

Mar

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jun

Jul

Aug

April

May

Sept

Rates

From: $204 to $1,223 pp/day

Best Time to Go

From: October to March (Warmer)

High Season

From: Never (The park gets very few visitors)

Size

From: 290km² / 112mi²

Wildlife & Animals

The park's main attraction is the endangered Cape mountain zebra endemic to the Cape region of South Africa. Additional grassland animals often encountered are ostrich, red hartebeest, eland, blesbok, and springbok. Chacma baboons and vervet monkeys are common primates in the park. Black rhino, lion, cheetah, and buffalo have been reintroduced, but sightings are hit and miss.

Wildlife Highlights

The rare black wildebeest, a real grassland special, is quite common in the park and can often be seen together with zebra. Two delightful small sociable mammals, the ground squirrel, and meerkat, are commonly seen near their burrows in sandy soil. Cheetah is easily found with the cheetah-tracking activity, and leopards are present, but rarely spotted. There is a reasonable chance of seeing bat-eared fox and caracal when on an early morning game drive.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The focus lies mostly on the Cape Mountain zebra since the Big Five animals are absent or rarely spotted. The mountain zebra can be seen throughout the year and, because winters get very cold, the best time to visit is during the warmer summer months (October to March). Most of the Cape Mountain foals were born in this period, and some social interaction might be observed.

General Wheather

The climate in Mountain Zebra National Park is categorized as semi-arid to arid. Most rain falls between October and April. Winter and summer occur at opposite times to Europe and North America. Freezing temperatures are common during midwinter.

Winter –May to September

The winter months are very cold early in the morning and stay relatively cold during the day. Bringing warm clothes is strongly recommended. Skies are clear, and there is very little rain. Snow can fall, but mainly on the mountain peaks.

May – Temperatures cool down to a brisk 5°C/41°F in the morning and 19°C/66°F in the afternoon, signifying the start of winter.
June & July – Nighttime gets well below freezing during the coldest months of the year. The average morning temperature is 1°C/34°F and the average daytime temperature is 16°C/61°F.
August & September – Mornings warm up slightly with average temperatures of 4°C/39°F. Afternoons are pleasant and mild at around 20°C/68°F.

Summer –October to April

Temperatures are milder in the summer, and it rains more often but still not a lot. It is generally sunny although drizzle and overcast skies can occur.

October & November – Rain is possible, although it isn’t likely to fall for days at a time. Average temperatures warm to about 8°C/46°F in the morning and 24°C/75°F in the afternoon.
December, January & February – Rain is more frequent. Afternoon average temperatures climb upward of 27°C/81°F. Mornings are very comfortable at around 12°C/54°F.
March & April – Rainfall is at its most plentiful in March (although it rarely rains for consecutive days), but begins to decrease around mid-April. The temperatures slowly cool to an average of 24°C/75°F in the afternoon and 10°C/50°F in the morning.

Prons

Sanctuary for the endangered and endemic mountain zebra
Beautiful scenery
Cheetah tracking and guided walks
Off-the-beaten-track with few visitors
Malaria-free

Cons

Small game-drive circuit

How To Get There

Most people who travel to Mountain Zebra National Park enter South Africa by flying into O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg or Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town. An organized safari could be started at either airport, or you may choose to drive yourself. The distance from Cape Town is almost 800km/500mi. A visit to Mountain Zebra National Park can easily be incorporated in a tour of the Winelands and the Garden Route region.

Alternatively, you can take a domestic flight to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ) and rent a car from here. The distance to the park is just over 260km/162mi and the drive takes about 3 hours*.

*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.

Airlines & Ticket Prices

Please check Skyscanner to see which airlines can take you to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) or Cape Town International Airport (CPT), and what tickets would cost.