The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park is a protected area in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It covers 2,428.13 km² (938 sq mi) and is part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park includes Royal Natal National Park, a provincial park, and covers part of the Drakensberg, a high land area with the highest elevations in southern Africa.
The park and the nearby Sehlabathebe National Park in the Kingdom of Lesotho are part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park. This area was first declared a World Heritage Site on 30 November 2000. UNESCO describes the site as having "exceptional natural beauty in its tall rock formations made of basalt, dramatic cliffs, and golden sandstone walls. The area’s many different environments protect a large number of plants and animals found only there and those at risk worldwide. It also has many caves and rock shelters with the largest and most concentrated group of paintings in Africa south of the Sahara." The paintings are ancient cave art, some of which may be 40,000 to 100,000 years old.
Plans to increase tourism in the area include a cable car project by the KZN Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs Department.
Fauna
The Drakensberg area is known for having many species that are found only in that region, including both animals with backbones and animals without backbones.
Conservation
Most of the higher areas of the Drakensberg escarpment in South Africa have been set aside as game reserves or wilderness areas. The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park is listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. Near the park is the Cathkin Estates Conservation and Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers 10.44 km (4.03 sq mi) of untouched grassland and is the largest private game park in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg region.
Wilderness areas include Mkhomazi, Upper Mkhomazi, Mlambonja, Mdedelelo, and Mzimkhulu. The Mkhomazi Wilderness Area is a region of empty badlands in the Drakensberg, located between Giant's Castle and the Sani Pass.