Garden Route National Park, Nature reserve along South Africa's southern coast
Garden Route National Park is a nature reserve along South Africa's southern coast that links beaches, lakes, mountains, and forests. The park stretches from Wilderness to Tsitsikamma and combines several protected landscapes with different ecosystems.
The park was created in 2009 by combining several existing protected areas such as Wilderness, Knysna, and Tsitsikamma. This merger aimed to protect the region's coastal landscapes and forests under unified management.
The Otter Trail, a five-day coastal hike between Storms River Mouth and Nature's Valley, is the park's best-known route and gives the Tsitsikamma section its reputation. Near the Tsitsikamma section stands the Bloukrans Bridge, whose 216-metre bungee jump is the world's highest. The Wilderness section also holds archaeologically significant sites.
Rain falls throughout the year here, the only area in Africa with year-round rainfall, so trails can be wet in any month. The Tsitsikamma section covers an 80 km stretch of coastline, with main accommodation at Storms River Mouth; the Wilderness section runs from the Touw River mouth to the Swartvlei estuary. The Otter Trail starts in Tsitsikamma, and the Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump, 216 m high, stands near the park.
The park is known for its lakes recognized as Ramsar wetlands that shelter five different kingfisher species. These water bird habitats rank among the most valuable on the southern coast.
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