Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Golden Gate Highlands National Park, national park in southeastern Free State province, South Africa, near the Lesotho border. It was established in 1963 and originally had an area of 18.5 square miles (48 square km) in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains. The park was subsequently expanded on several occasions, and, after amalgamating with Qwa Qwa National Park in 2008, it had an area of about 131 square miles (340 square km). Noted for its red and golden cliffs, the park rises from a 6,000-foot (1,800-metre) plateau in the north to peaks of 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) in the south. Originally inhabited only by mountain reedbuck, Golden Gate Highlands was subsequently stocked with black wildebeest, eland, springbok, and red hartebeest that were relocated from other parts of Africa. Headquarters are at Bethlehem.