A warm breeze wafts over my body in Camdeboo National Park. It’s sterile, without even the slightest hint of dust upon its breath. A sparse, sun-baked world stretches out endlessly before me. Desiccated knee-high shrubs dot the ochre-coloured plain under a white-hot African sky. And in this clear, dry air, those signature Karoo koppies on the horizon never seem to get any closer.
This vast expanse of heartless terrain reminds me of my smallness in the grand scheme of things. It’s an uncomfortable feeling that threatens to overwhelm me and make me run to the nearest bar.
But as I’m about to make my escape, a sleek springbok with a glossy coat pops out of nowhere. Astonished, I close my eyes. When I open them, the springbok is still there. And now I’m intrigued by this seemingly desolate place.
But first,
Where is the Camdeboo National Park?
You’ll find Camdeboo National Park wrapped around South Africa’s charming fourth-oldest town, Graaff-Reinet. A soft centre almost completely encircled by the hard shell of the dry Karoo landscape.
I’m not surprised to discover that the name Karoo is believed to originate from an ancient San word meaning ‘land of thirst’. But I’m shocked to find out that Camdeboo is derived from a Khoi word, ‘Xamdeboo,’ meaning ‘green valley’ or ‘hollow’. Green valley? Out here, even the shadows look thirsty.
Looking at the landscape before me, green feels like the punchline to a joke the earth once told and then forgot.
The Valley of Desolation: A Desert Temple in Camdeboo National Park
Succulent spekboom, also known as porkbushes, dot the flanks of the mountain pass to the Valley of Desolation viewpoint. Their small, bright-green, edible leaves gleam with the promise of life in the late-afternoon sunlight. Could this be the Khoi people’s green valley? Perhaps they, too, stopped here, astonished by this sudden seam of green in a hard land.
A short walk brings us to the edge of a geological marvel that instantly reminds me of how inconsequential I, or any other living creature, am in this terrain.
Sheer cliffs of jointed dolerite pillars tower over a narrow gorge. Beyond these orange pillars, the dry plains of the Camdeboo stretch and stretch until they blur into the mountains that barely ruffle the horizon.
My sense of vertigo isn’t only from the drop at my feet; it’s from the sense of time yawning wide open around me. Half aloud, I find myself recalling C. J. Driver’s lines about this place:
‘… it seems as if a builder started here to make a desert temple out of stone. And then got bored…’
But standing here, wind pushing at my back, no human hand began this temple, and no human ambition could finish it. Instead, Mother Nature and time created this temple in the Karoo.
Among these pillars, my own worries feel as temporary as the dust on a hiking boot – something the next gust will lift and scatter, leaving the rocks to keep their long, indifferent watch over the plains.
Soft Green After All That Stone: Lakeview Tented Camp
It had never really struck me how deeply the colour green affects my sense of well-being until this trip. When you picture an African landscape, it’s usually the browns and golden ochres that dominate, but there is always a hint of green somewhere.
The starkness might seem even sharper today because only a few hours ago, we were surrounded by the rich, vibrant greens of Tsitsikamma’s Storms River Mouth.
We reach our accommodation at Lakeview Tented Camp as the sun begins to sink. And then, there it is, the green I’ve been craving. A small, improbably lush patch of lawn spills out in front of the communal kitchen and dining area, glowing softly in the last light. After so many kilometres of stone and scrub, it feels like someone has rolled out a living welcome mat.
Vervet monkeys scatter as we approach our tent, then reappear in the bare branches of a nearby tree, where they seem to be settling for the night. Later, in the deepening dark, their soft, conversational grunts drift across the camp, an oddly comforting soundtrack.
On that patch of green, the dusk brings another visitor. A scrub hare emerges to feed on the green grass. Night falls quickly here; there is almost no twilight, just a swift, decisive tipping from light into darkness. And the hare quickly melts into the shadows of the night.
After hours of dust and rock, Lakeview feels like a mood shift – the park’s gentler, more intimate face offering a pocket-sized ‘green valley.’ Perhaps this is what the Khoi name is really about, not endless rolling meadows, but these quiet, improbable oases – a spekboom leaf here and a scrap of lawn there.
Looking For Life in an Almost Empty Place
We set out early the next morning to explore the 19-odd kilometres of gravel roads that cover the game viewing area. I don’t hold particularly high hopes that we’ll encounter much game, so we plan to go to the bird hide and picnic spot for brunch.
Within fifteen minutes, we are lost; it is as if they forgot to include the details on the map we are following. We correct our course and find the Khwalimanzi hide. And as expected, there is no sign of life, not even a small bird, despite a small pond of water. Oh well, we’ll have our coffee and move on.
We’re sitting in quiet contemplation, sipping our coffee, when a dark brown shape slips gracefully from out of the reeds. It’s a common duiker. She steps elegantly down to the water and pauses to contemplate her reflection. It is as if she is saying to herself, ‘How dare they call me common!’
A little further on, we encounter a lone zebra amongst a small herd of wildebeest. It takes us a while to realise that both creatures are not quite what we are used to seeing in the Kruger. The zebra looks like it has forgotten to zip up its stripey costume, exposing a white belly. And then we realise, this is our first Cape Mountain zebra. And the wildebeest have long golden tails… they are not blue wildebeest but black.
And slowly it dawns on us, this drive through the game viewing area isn’t about abundance. Instead, the thrill here lies in encounters with unique creatures that have adapted to this seemingly inhospitable open space and they call it home.
Finding a Quiet, Humbling Grace in the Heat and Stone
As I paused to soak in the beauty around me, I realised there was something truly special about this place. The sun poured down over the rocky koppies, carving shadows and etching a stark contrast between light and dark. The wind threaded itself through the sparse vegetation, its whisper rising into a soft, soothing song.
And then there was my own little vision: a mirage of a springbok, dancing at the edge of the heat, that prevented me from running for the nearest bar.
Ultimately, Camdeboo National Park’s ruggedness didn’t make me feel more powerful or brave. Instead, it gently reminded me that feeling small in such expansive, indifferent beauty is a beautiful form of grace.
Camdeboo National Park Good to Know:
Here are a few practical details to help you plan your own trip to Camdeboo National Park.
Lakeview Tented Camp
4 rustic furnished tents provide a relaxed nature experience at Lakeview Tented Camp. Each tent is tucked away in its own patch of bush, offering seclusion. There are two proper beds and sheets, a fan, a picnic table, a braai and a fridge, as well as two comfy camping chairs on the wooden deck outside your tent.
There is a communal kitchen/dining area with a kettle, hot plates, a microwave and a chest freezer. Just bring your own crockery and cutlery.
An ablution facility with showers (towels are provided in your tent) and toilets is a short walk away.
To stay here, book online at SANParks’ website and get a 5% discount for booking online.
Nqweba Camp Site
Fifteen caravan or tent sites are spaciously laid out beneath thorn trees on a gravel substrate. I have never camped here, but my good friend, Roaming Fox, has, so check out her blog post, Valley of Desolation, Camdeboo National Park, here.
I do believe the vervet monkeys have been sneaky thieves, taking campers’ yummy bits and pieces left outside or unattended.
Monkey Business
As I mentioned, vervet monkeys are pesky creatures always on the lookout for an easy, free snack. Who can blame them, people leave irrisistable monkey snacks out.
Whether you camp at Nqweba or Lakeview, please keep your food securely packed away. If you don’t, you are literally signing the vervet’s death notice because sooner or later one of them will attack a small child, and that means it will have to be put down.
What Animals Are in the Camdeboo National Park?
If you are looking for the Big 5, then Camdeboo is not for you.
There are 43 species of mammal in the park, including bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackal, springbok, black wildebeest and Cape Mountain zebra.
There is a pretty reservoir frequented by lots of different birds, ranging from herons to tiny weavers, while pale chanting goshawks roam the sky in search of a snack.
Our best sighting was late afternoon next to the dry flat reedbeds of the Nqweba Dam. A black-backed jackal trotted past a flock of guinea fowl, ignoring each other, while the springbok pronked, a distinctly balletic leap high into the air; they seemed to do so for the sheer joy of leaping.
Why Not Have A Picnic At Impunzi Picnic Site?
We had a delightful picnic here while a field mouse kept a watchful eye out for any table scraps. It’s a great spot to stop, pause, and soak in the uncomfortable yet incredibly beautiful wide-open landscapes of the Camdeboo National Park.
But, beware of the open-air toilets at Impunzi! Some heartless person thought it would be a good idea to install black toilet seats. All I can say is it is a very hot experience that your nether world won’t thank you for.
The Beauty Of Camdeboo National Park Isn’t Free.
There is a daily conservation fee in the park. From 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026 the fees are:
SA Residents adults R52.00 and kids R26.00
SADC Nationals R104.00 adults and R52.00 for kids
International Visitors R160.00 and R80.00 for kids
Disclosure: I do not have any commercial relationship with SANParks or any of its affiliates. While I am a volunteer member of the SANParks Honorary Rangers, the views and opinions expressed in this blog post are entirely my own and do not reflect the organisation’s position. I have not received any financial compensation for this post. This blog shares my personal experiences and insights from time in nature. All photographs, experiences, and opinions are my own.