ALTHOUGH it is probably best known for its golden rock formations and curvaceous landscapes, Golden Gate National Park has another attribute that makes it a special place; it has the distinction of being South Africa’s only grassland national park.
This lofty protected place is situated in the foothills of the lovely Maluti mountains in the north eastern corner of that friendly province, the Free State.
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Fragments of indigenous afromontane forest grow in the kloofs and gorges, finding refuge here from fire and frost. Temperatures can drop to as low as 15 degrees Centigrade and the park is sometimes blanketed in snow.
There are also stands of those foothill survivors, tough, fire-resistant protea bushes and gnarled ouhout. Mostly the park consists of rolling grasslands, representing amazing biodiversity.
In winter they are bleak and brown but come the summer rains and these highland grasslands turn emerald green and it is a joy to walk them and to take a closer look at this wealth of plant life. More than 60 different species of grasses are to be found within the park’s boundaries and there are more than enough highland flower species to keep the flower people happy.
Many creatures that have adapted to the high life are to be found in Golden Gates. Magnificent herds of eland and black wildebeest are among the interesting antelope species that are at home here. The bearded vulture and bald ibis top the list of much sought high-altitude avian residents.
Mostly, though, it is the crystal mountain air and the magnificent scenery that attract the many fans to this accessible, well-appointed and well-run national park.
The most striking features are the sandstone rocks that turn a golden colour as the sun sets. Golden Gates gets its name from its ‘gates’, two massive sandstone formations on either side of the road.
The magnificent Brandwag buttress, at the Glen Reenen Rest Camp must be one of the most photographed rock formations in South Africa.
The origins of these striking rock formations and cliffs go right back to 200-million years ago when the area was a swampy soup and a layer of muddy red sediment was laid down. Four million years later the swamp had turned into a desert and the next layer, of yellow sandstone, was added to the mix. Volcanic activity between 160-million and 100-million years ago added the next layer, a cap pf basalt.
Over the eons rivers and streams have carved these layers into the dramatic natural sculptures we see today. As for the black streaks on the rock faces that visitors often ask about, they are formed by water leaching the manganese dioxide out of the basalt cap.
The popular national park provides the outdoors brigade with all sorts of activities, including walks and longer hikes, canoeing, horse trails, abseiling and game driving. For the birders, there is a short walk up a slope overlooking a vulture restaurant.
All sorts of accommodation options are available, ranging from the Highlands Mountain Retreat luxury camp, the Noordt Brabant Guest House, a historic farmhouse and the well-appointed Golden Gate (formerly Brandwag) Hotel, to self-catering Basotho Cultural Village Restcamp and the rondavels and camping ground at Glen Reenen Rest Camp.
We have often stayed in the attractive and comfortable Glen Reenen camping ground although it was usually for only one or two nights on the way to somewhere else. We really should plan a longer visit as Golden Gate National Park is just as scenic and fascinating as any of Sanparks’ other 18 national parks.
My favourite memory of a stay at Golden Gate is of an afternoon we spent on the windy ridge overlooking the vulture restaurant that offered a grandstand view of an adult and an immature bearded vulture, a bird species listed as endangered and a rare sight in Southern African skies.
From our vantage point we looked down on them as they slowly circled higher and higher. Soon they were so close to us we didn’t even need our binoculars to see them properly. Eventually they rose over the ridge, circled just above our heads a couple of times right then they flew off leaving us with a sense of wonder.
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