Royal Natal National Park is a park in

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

province,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and forms part of the

uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park is a protected area in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, covering , and is part of a world heritage site. The park includes Royal Natal National Park, a provincial park, and covers part of the Drakensberg ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Notwithstanding the name, it is actually not a South African National Park managed by the

SANParks South African National Parks (SANParks) is the body responsible for managing South Africa's national parks. SANParks was formed in 1926, and currently manages 19 parks consisting of , over 3% of the total area of South Africa. Many parks offer ...

, but rather a Provincial Park managed by

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Their headquarters is in Queen Elizabeth Park situated on the northern slopes of ...

. This park is now included in the

Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area Maloti-Drakensberg Park was established on 11 June 2001 by linking the Sehlabathebe National Park in the Kingdom of Lesotho and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The highest peak is Thaba Ntlenyana rising to 3.482 m. ...

Peace Park. The Drakensberg Mountains were once the hunting ground of the

San people The San peoples (also Saan), or Bushmen, are members of various Khoe, Tuu, or Kxʼa-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures that are the first cultures of Southern Africa, and whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, ...

(bushmen). Though the San no longer live in the area, they recorded their exploits in the form of remarkable rock paintings. The main features of the park are the Drakensberg Amphitheatre, a rock wall long by up to high, Mont-Aux-Sources peak where the

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and

Tugela The Tugela River ( zu, Thukela; af, Tugelarivier) is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of , it is one of the most important rivers of the country. The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the Dr ...

rivers have their source, and the

Tugela Falls Tugela Falls is a complex of seasonal waterfalls located in the Drakensberg (''Dragon's Mountains'') of Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Republic of South Africa. According to some measurements, it is the world's tallest wate ...

, the world's highest

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

. A distinctive rock feature and popular hiking destination in the park is the so-called "Policeman's Helmet". Royal_Natal.jpg, Trail in Royal Natal National Park Amphitheatre Drakensberg View.jpg, view towards the ''Amphitheatre'' Sentinel Peak (Royal Natal National Park).jpg, The ''Sentinel'' Mahai-River in Royal Natal National Park.jpg, Mahai-River Mountains at Royal Natal National Park.jpg, green covered Mountains Policemans Helmet Rock RNNP.jpg, alt=Policeman's Helmet RNNP, Policeman's Helmet RNNP Amphitheatre.jpg, alt=RNNP Amphitheatre Rock Face, RNNP Amphitheatre

References

External links

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Royal Natal National Park accommodation

Royal Natal at KZN Wildlife

uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park at UNESCO World heritage
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Parks Nature reserves in South Africa National parks of South Africa Tugela River {{Africa-protected-area-stub

See also

References

External links