Home to the premier tourist attraction, Valley of Desolation, Camdeboo National Park is celebrating 20 years of showcasing breathtaking natural views and offering enjoyable outdoor adventures, under the stewardship of South African National Parks (SANParks).
Camdeboo National Park, South Africa (29 October 2025) – Best known for being the home of the world-renowned Valley of Desolation, Camdeboo, this week celebrates 20 remarkable years of being a national park!
The Valley is a popular drawcard for hikers, photographers and nature lovers and was proclaimed a scenic national monument in 1939. The original road leading up to it was constructed by labourers using picks, shovels and barrows.
It was tarred in 1978, offering visitors easier access to a number of spectacular viewpoints along the way, culminating in a short walk to the Valley itself. Here, visitors can enjoy what is also known as the Cathedral of Mountains – piled dolerite columns set against the backdrop of the plains of the Great Karoo. The landscape is said to be the product of erosive and volcanic forces of nature over a period of more than 100 million years.
The History of Camdeboo
Before its proclamation as a national park in 2005 under the management of South African National Parks (SANParks), the 19,052 ha area was known as the Karoo Nature Reserve, which was established in 1979.
Following an extensive process of negotiation and discussion between government, conservation groups and concerned stakeholders, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism at the time, announced the intention to proclaim the Park in the area surrounding Graaff-Reinet.
This was made possible by the World Wildlife Fund in South Africa (WWF-SA), which donated the 14,000-hectare Karoo Nature Reserve to be the centrepiece of the project.
What To Do at Camdeboo
If you’re a lover of the outdoors or nature, you can rest assured that there’s something for you in Camdeboo. There are a number of activities on offer in the Park, including self-drive game viewing, 4×4 trails, a number of walking trails which allow one to explore the Park on foot, picnic sites and bird viewing from the Khwalimanzi Hide.
Camdeboo welcomed its first-ever overnight guests to the Lakeview Tented Camp and Nqweba Campsite, situated on the floodplains of the Nqweba Dam, in 2012.
While the Park and its rest camp are small in comparison to most other national parks, it may be that its quaintness is exactly what makes it as special as it is.
Sources: South African National Parks
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