Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa

Why this lesser-known park near Upington is a brilliant stopover.

Few sights are as spectacular, or a sound as deafening, as water thundering down the 56m Augrabies Falls. This is especially so when the Orange River is in full flood. The Augrabies National Park lies 1½ hours west of Upington and 4 hours south from the Kgalagadi National Park. Plus, it’s the perfect stopover en route to see the spring wild flowers of Namaqualand.

Here the Orange River thunders through an 18km gorge. It’s then unleashed, tumbling into what looks like a bottomless rock cauldron.

Fun Fact - Legend has it there’s a fortune in diamonds at the bottom of the falls—but with that torrent roaring down, no one’s getting rich (or diving in) any time soon.

The small National Park is fascinating with its spectacular moonscape scenery and views over the Orange River gorge. Take a drive through the park or one of its walking trails along the gorge’s edge.

Wildlife in Augrabies Falls National Park

Here you’ll see special drought-adapted wildlife such as klipspringer, springbok, gemsbok and giraffe. Predators come in the form of leopard, black backed jackals, caracal, the bat eared fox, and the African wild cat.

The park’s wild temperature swings have prompted some clever survival tactics so that Augrabies wildlife can survive in extremely high and low temperatures. The giraffes here? Paler in colour than their lowveld cousins. See it as nature’s version of SPF 50.

The most characteristic plant in the park is the giant aloe called quiver tree (kokerboom), which gets its name from the fact that the Bushmen (San) used the soft branches to make quivers for their arrows.

Accommodation near Augrabies Falls

The park offers no-frills rest camp accommodation - with a restaurant, shop and pool for cooling off after a desert walk. Perfect for a night or two en route to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Nearby, Dundi Lodge adds comfort and character, while Tutwa Desert Lodge turns things up a notch—think desert luxury on the Orange River.

When to visit Augrabies Falls

Augrabies Falls lies in the semi-arid northern Cape with very little annual rainfall. However the Falls benefit from the summer rain of the Free State which increases the water flow over the Falls. So it is at its most impressive during and immediately after the summer rains, ie March to May. Whilst its lowest flow is probably at the end of the upcountry dry season – think October and November. But this park is strikingly scenic year-round.

So quick summation – any time from April to September would be perfect, but year-round interest.

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