Mountain Zebra Park Overview

This park provides you with the opportunity to easily see one of the worlds truly rare species: the Cape Mountain Zebra.

There are only about 300 of these animals left on the planet and the fact that they have not yet slipped into perpetual oblivion is because of the proclamation of this area in 1937 to protect them.

Located within easy striking distance of the town of Cradock (12 km) in the malaria-free Eastern Cape area of South Africa, this park covers an area of 28 000 hectares of mountainous terrain.

Most of the roads are gravel and can be driven easily by a normal sedan vehicle. The Kranskop Loop is very rocky in places and after heavy rain portions of it might be under water. The route from the main gate to the rest camp is tarred.

Mountain Zebra Park Satellite Map

Use this map to get some perspective of the routes and features in the park. Magnify (zoom in) by double clicking with your mouse or using the controls in the upper left hand corner.

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When and How To Visit

In terms of your comfort, winter (May to August) isn't the best time to visit the park unless you like the cold because temperatures drop precipitously and regular snowfalls occur on the higher ridges.

Summers (October to March) are a lot warmer and a better time to go especially if you are planning on camping. The average annual rainfall is about 350mm.

Driving here with your own vehicle is the best way to explore this park so there is no need to pay extra to hire a safari company. And to make things easy I've written a book with all the details on how to guide your own safari...

Getting There

The Mountain Zebra National Park is situated on the R61 road towards Graaff-Reinet, 12km from Cradock. Below are the distances from some of the major cities in South Africa.

Port Elizabeth ("PE") to Mountain Zebra Main Gate: 280km
Cape Town to Mountain Zebra Main Gate: 800km
Johannesburg ("Jo'burg") to Mountain Zebra Main Gate: 800km
Durban to Mountain Zebra Main Gate: 1050km

To get to Cradock from any point in South Africa use the maps supplied by your car rental company or purchase a good map book like the AA Road Atlas from any newsagent. From Cradock it’s just a short hop along the R61 road to get to the Mountain Zebra Park main gate.