Pilanesberg National Park, Game reserve in North West Province, South Africa.
Pilanesberg National Park is a game reserve covering about 550 square kilometers, set within an ancient volcanic crater. The landscape forms concentric ridges and valleys that were created when volcanic activity shaped the terrain millions of years ago.
In 1979, a major animal reintroduction project began in land that had previously been used for farming. This project transformed the area into one of the region's most wildlife-rich parks today.
The name comes from a Tswana leader whose legacy remains woven into the land. Visitors encounter this heritage through the landscape itself, shaped by generations of people who lived here.
The park offers different lodging options, from comfortable lodges to simpler camps. Visitors can drive themselves, join guided walks, or use hot air balloons to see the landscape from above.
The reserve was built on the remains of a vast volcanic ring complex, a geological formation of worldwide significance. This rare structure makes the location a place of major scientific interest.
Location: North West
Inception: 1979
Elevation above the sea: 1,140 m
Website: https://parksnorthwest.co.za/pilanesberg-national-park
GPS coordinates: -25.26110,27.10080
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:40
From the windy tip of the Cape to the blue line of the Drakensberg, South Africa stacks landscapes that do not resemble each other. A morning on Table Mountain, an evening facing the whales of Hermanus, and between them red trails, deep canyons, lagoons, vineyards, and reserves where large animals pass through. Kruger opens its roads at dawn, Pilanesberg sketches an ancient crater, iSimangaliso blends reefs and wetlands. Further afield, the rugged coast preserves its cliffs, the Richtersveld its succulent deserts, and the Valley of Desolation its frozen lava columns. Here, travel is at eye and light level, to the rhythm of a vast land that changes its face at every turn.
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