Out & About SA · Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga Nature & Parks

The wild Mpumalanga — the southern and central Kruger, the Blyde River (Motlatse) Canyon, the great escarpment waterfalls (Mac Mac, Lisbon, Berlin, Lone Creek), the Sudwala and Echo caves, the Barberton Makhonjwa World Heritage mountains, and the Highveld wetlands of Chrissiesmeer and Wakkerstroom. Filter by region and type.

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Full list

Andover Nature Reserve — Bushbuckridge. Provincial reserve on the R40 with wildlife, self-catering camps and hiking
Badplaas Hot Springs — Badplaas/eManzana. Natural thermal sulphur springs that give eManzana ('healing waters') its name
Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail — Barberton. Self-drive geological route with interpretive stops through the ancient Makhonjwa rocks toward Eswatini
Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains — Barberton. A UNESCO World Heritage Site containing some of the oldest and best-preserved rocks on Earth, showcased along the…
Barberton Nature Reserve — Barberton. A mountainous grassland reserve above the historic gold town of Barberton, rich in endemic plants and birdlife
Battery Creek Falls — Kaapsehoop. Forest waterfall reached via a short hiking trail from the village
Berlin Falls — Graskop. A striking single 80-metre column of water dropping from a narrow rock spout into a deep dark pool
Bethal Dam — Bethal. Recreational dam popular for fishing, boating, swimming and camping on the edge of town
Blyde River Canyon — Graskop. One of the world's largest green canyons, viewed from points along the Panorama Route
Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve — Blyde River Canyon. Roughly 29,000ha reserve protecting one of the world's largest green canyons
Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve (Motlatse Canyon) — Graskop. Protects one of the world's largest canyons, a lush green gorge cut into the Drakensberg escarpment and dotted with…
Blydepoort Dam — Blyde River Canyon. Dam at the foot of the canyon offering boating and canyon views
Blyderivierspoort Pass (R532) — Blyde River Canyon. Scenic mountain pass linking the canyon viewpoints along the Panorama Route
Bourke's Luck Potholes — Graskop. A series of deep cylindrical rock potholes sculpted by swirling water where the Treur and Blyde rivers meet
Bridal Veil Falls — Sabie. A delicate, wispy 70-metre fall reached by a shaded forest walk near Sabie
Chrissie Pans — Chrissiesmeer. Recognised Important Bird Area of around 270 lakes and pans supporting 287 bird species including cranes and flufftails
Chrissiesmeer (Lake Chrissie) — Chrissiesmeer. South Africa's largest natural freshwater lake district, a mosaic of pans famed for flamingos and summer frog choruses
Cosmos Country Grasslands — Bethal. Bethal lies in Mpumalanga's 'Cosmos Country', where fields turn pink and white with wild cosmos flowers each autumn
Crocodile River — Crocodile Bridge. Forms the park's southern boundary here and is a reliable spot for hippos, crocodiles and riverine game
Douglas Dam — Ermelo. Dam near Ermelo used for fishing and casual watersports
Dullstroom Nature Reserve & Dam — Dullstroom. Reserve and dam on the edge of town popular for birdwatching, walks and fishing
Dullstroom Trout Dams — Dullstroom. The high-altitude town of Dullstroom is the fly-fishing capital of South Africa, ringed by cold trout dams and streams
Echo Caves — Ohrigstad. An ancient dolomite cave system named for the echoing stalactites once used to warn of raiders, with guided tours of…
Elands River — Waterval Onder. River running through the valley, known for trout
Elands River Falls — Machadodorp/eNtokozweni. High waterfall on the Elands River at nearby Waterval Boven (Emgwenya)
Elands River Falls (Waterval Boven) — Waterval Boven. A large waterfall on the Elands River that gives the town of Waterval Boven its name, near popular sport-climbing crags
Elands Valley — Waterval Boven/Emgwenya. Scenic river valley popular for hiking and trout fishing
Emanzana Game Reserve — Badplaas/eManzana. Reserve around the Forever Resort offering game drives, horse riding and quad biking
God's Window — Graskop. A famous escarpment viewpoint offering a sweeping panorama of the Lowveld nearly 1,000 metres below
Graskop Gorge — Graskop. A viewing lift descends into an indigenous afromontane forest gorge with elevated walkways and waterfalls
Grootdraai Dam — Standerton. A large dam on the Vaal River about 10km from town, used for water supply and watersports
Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve — Lydenburg. A grassland and mountain reserve above Lydenburg with game, hiking trails and a notable archaeological site
Heyshope Dam — Piet Retief/eMkhondo. One of the province's largest dams, on the Assegaai River, popular for bass fishing, boating and birding
Highveld Grasslands & Highlands Meander — Belfast. Rolling high-altitude grasslands, rocky outcrops and riverine valleys on the Drakensberg escarpment edge, part of the…
Horseshoe Falls — Sabie. A wide horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Sabie River fed by surrounding plantation and forest streams
Kaapsehoop Escarpment — Kaapsehoop. Rocky escarpment and pine forests with hiking trails and cliff-top views
Kadishi Tufa Waterfall — Blyde River Canyon. One of the world's tallest tufa (living rock) waterfalls, seen from the Blyde Dam
Komati Gorge — Carolina. Scenic river gorge near Carolina good for picnicking, swimming, fishing and birdwatching
Komati River — Nkomazi Game Reserve. River winding through the Nkomazi reserve, drawing game and birdlife
Kruger National Park — Bushbuckridge. Nearly 2-million-hectare flagship park bordering the Bushbuckridge district to the east
Kruger National Park (Malelane section) — Malalane. Nearly two-million-hectare park entered via Malelane Gate, rich in Big Five wildlife
Kruger National Park (Phabeni & Numbi Gates) — Hazyview. Hazyview is a main gateway town, minutes from two western Kruger entrance gates
Kruger National Park (Southern Section) — Crocodile Bridge. Big Five country; the Crocodile Bridge to Lower Sabie area is among the best in Kruger for lions, cheetah and rhino
Kruger National Park - Crocodile Bridge Gate — Komatipoort. South-eastern Kruger gate opening onto the Crocodile Bridge region, a productive area for lion, cheetah and general game
Kruger National Park - Malelane Gate — Malelane. Southern Kruger entrance near Malelane giving quick access to the Crocodile River section known for high densities of…
Kruger National Park - Numbi Gate — Hazyview. Western Kruger entry near Hazyview leading to the Pretoriuskop area, one of the oldest and most scenic hilly landscapes…
Kruger National Park - Paul Kruger Gate — Hazyview. Historic gate on the Sabie River leading directly to Skukuza, the park's main rest camp and administrative headquarters
Kruger National Park - Phabeni Gate — Hazyview. Convenient western gate near Hazyview offering the shortest route into Kruger from the Panorama Route towns
Lake Chrissie (Chrissiesmeer) — Chrissiesmeer. South Africa's largest natural freshwater lake, drawing thousands of lesser flamingos in late summer
Lake Panic — Skukuza. A tranquil dam near Skukuza renowned for birdlife and riverine wildlife
Lake Panic Bird Hide — Kruger Gate. Small dam and hide near Skukuza famed for waterbirds, hippos and crocodiles
Lake Umuzi — Secunda. A man-made lake at the heart of the Lake Umuzi Waterfront used for leisure and watersports
Lebombo Mountains — Komatipoort. Low range flanking the town along the Mozambique border
Lionspruit Game Reserve — Marloth Park. 1,500-hectare reserve within Marloth Park with resident lions and self-drive routes
Lisbon Falls — Graskop. The highest waterfall in the Mpumalanga escarpment, plunging about 90 metres over a curved cliff into a wooded gorge
Lone Creek Falls — Sabie. A 68-metre waterfall in a pine and indigenous forest setting with a wheelchair-accessible circular walkway
Long Tom Pass — Lydenburg/Mashishing. Scenic high-altitude pass linking Lydenburg and Sabie through the Drakensberg escarpment
Loskop Dam Nature Reserve — Middelburg. A large reserve around Loskop Dam on the Olifants River combining bushveld game, aloes and watersports
Lowveld National Botanical Garden — Nelspruit. A SANBI garden at the confluence of the Crocodile and Nels rivers featuring waterfalls, a cycad collection and…
Mabusa Nature Reserve — Kwamhlanga. A bushveld and grassland reserve in western Mpumalanga home to zebra, wildebeest and a variety of antelope
Mac Mac Falls — Sabie. A twin 65-metre waterfall named for the many Scottish miners who once panned gold in the area, now a national monument
Mac Mac Pools — Sabie. A cascade and natural swimming pools on the Mac Mac River with picnic sites and a short forest trail
Majuba Hill — Volksrust. A prominent flat-topped hill offering wide views over the surrounding grasslands
Manyeleti Nature Reserve — Bushbuckridge. About 23,000ha Big Five reserve sharing an unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park
Mjejane Game Reserve — Hectorspruit/Emjejane. Private Big Five reserve open to the greater Kruger, on the Crocodile River
Mkhombo Nature Reserve — Middelburg. Grassland and dam reserve with game and scenic rolling hills near Middelburg
Mount Sheba Nature Reserve — Pilgrim's Rest. A private reserve protecting one of the last patches of indigenous afromontane rainforest, with waterfalls and hiking…
Mountainlands Nature Reserve — Barberton. Private reserve in the Makhonjwa mountains rich in endemic plants, butterflies and birdlife
Mthethomusha Game Reserve — Malalane. 8,000-hectare reserve in the Malelane Mountains bordering Kruger, home to lion, elephant and rhino
Nelshoogte Pass — Badplaas/eManzana. Scenic mountain pass through forest between Badplaas and Barberton
Nelspruit Nature Reserve — Mbombela/Nelspruit. Hillside reserve on the town's edge with hiking trails and lowveld flora
Nkomazi Game Reserve — Badplaas/eManzana. Private Big 5 reserve on the banks of the Komati River near Badplaas
Nkomazi Private Game Reserve — Nkomazi Game Reserve. Private Big Five reserve set along the Komati River with malaria-free bushveld
Nooitgedacht Dam Nature Reserve — Carolina. A highveld dam and reserve near Carolina popular for angling, watersports and grassland game viewing
Ohrigstad Dam Nature Reserve — Ohrigstad. Bushveld reserve around the Ohrigstad Dam with antelope, birding, fishing and hiking
Olifants River — Kruger National Park. Major river cutting through the central park with dramatic gorge views
Ossewakop — Wakkerstroom. Hill above the village offering hiking, cycling and panoramic views
Panorama Route — Blyde River Canyon. Renowned scenic drive linking the canyon, waterfalls and escarpment viewpoints
Pilgrim's Rest — Pilgrim's Rest. A preserved 19th-century gold-rush village and living museum set in the forested hills of the escarpment
Rainbow Route — Carolina. Scenic touring route starting at Carolina and linking Mpumalanga with KwaZulu-Natal
Robber's Pass — Ohrigstad. Scenic mountain pass on the R533 linking Ohrigstad to Pilgrim's Rest, historically a site of gold-coach robberies
Sabi Sand Nature Reserve — Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. Private Big Five reserve within the Greater Kruger, sharing an open boundary with Kruger National Park
Sabie Falls — Sabie. A waterfall on the Sabie River just outside the forestry town of Sabie, the hub of the escarpment's timber industry
Sabie River — Hazyview. Scenic river running past Hazyview offering fishing and riverside walks
Sabie River Valley — Kiepersol. Fertile river valley of forestry and fruit farms surrounding Kiepersol
Sand River — Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. River flowing through the reserve that sustains dense game and riverine forest
Schoemanskloof — Machadodorp/eNtokozweni. Scenic river valley and pass linking the town toward Nelspruit through the Lowveld foothills
Schoemanskloof Valley — Schoemanskloof. A scenic dolomite-flanked valley following the Crocodile River tributaries through the Highlands
Songimvelo Nature Reserve — Badplaas. Mpumalanga's largest provincial reserve, spanning mountain grassland and lowveld with game and ancient geological…
Sterkspruit River — Lydenburg/Mashishing. Trout stream near town popular with fly anglers
Sudwala Caves — Nelspruit. One of the world's oldest caves, formed in Precambrian dolomite and famous for the huge Amphitheatre chamber
The Pinnacle Rock — Graskop. A solitary quartzite column rising from a fern-filled gorge along the Panorama Route near Graskop
The Three Rondavels — Graskop. An iconic lookout over three round, grass-topped rock formations rising above the Blyde River Canyon and…
Thiqwa Caves (La Rochelle Caves) — Ermelo. Cave site displaying Bushman rock art, viewable on guided tours
Trout Dams & Rivers — Belfast. Cold, clear dams and streams around Belfast stocked with trout for fly-fishing
Uitkomst Waterfall — Machadodorp/eNtokozweni. One of Mpumalanga's tallest waterfalls in the hills near the town
Vaal River — Standerton. One of South Africa's largest rivers, running through the centre of Standerton
Verloren Valei Nature Reserve — Dullstroom. A Ramsar-listed high-altitude wetland near Dullstroom protecting rare cranes including the wattled, blue and grey…
Wakkerstroom Wetland — Wakkerstroom. A renowned grassland and wetland birding destination hosting numerous endemic and rare species and a BirdLife centre
Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve — Wakkerstroom. Large highveld wetland with four bird hides and diverse birdlife
Witbank Dam — Witbank/eMalahleni. One of the largest municipal dams in the southern hemisphere
Witbank Nature Reserve — Witbank/eMalahleni. Rocky highveld grassland reserve with zebra, springbok and birdlife
Zaaihoek Dam — Wakkerstroom. Dam near town popular for fishing and water activities