The Karoo National Park was established on the outskirts of Beaufort West in 1979, to conserve a representative sample of the region’s unique heritage. It has been enlarged over the years and now encompasses vast, flat plains as well as the rugged Nuweveld Mountains.

Animals such as mountain reedbuck, grey rhebok, kudu, steenbok, jackal and aardwolf occur naturally, while reintroduced species include springbuck, hartebeest, gemsbok, black wildebeest, Cape mountain zebra and the endangered black rhino and riverine rabbit. Some 196 bird species have been recorded, and the park also sustains more than 20 black eagle pairs.

The short Fossil and Bossie trails are accessible from the rest camp and allow visitors to learn about the Karoo’s fascinating 250-million-year-old geological history and its unique vegetation.