Table Mountain National Park is a 221-km² park in theWestern Cape province ofSouth Africa. It protects the natural environment of the Table Mountain Chain, and in particular the rare fynbos vegetation. The park contains two well-known landmarks: Table Mountain, and the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern extremity of Africa.
The park forms part of the Cape Floristic RegionUNESCO World Heritage Site, comprises a large area of the Cape Peninsula and incorporates a number of park areas.
Table Mountain National Park consists of the greater Table Mountain chain on the peninsula, stretching from the well known Table Mountain behindCape Town south to Cape Point. It incorporates Table Mountain, Tokai Forest, Silvermine, a large area in the vicinity of Cape Point, and a marine protected area.
The park is managed by South African National Parks.
The park is busy with ongoing restructuring and development. New areas are constantly being added to the park in an effort to link the separated portions and expand the park.
There is one large marine protected area which extends a few kilometers offshore from Mouille Point all around the coast of the peninsula to Muizenberg. The MPA is mostly a controlled zone, where limited extractive activities may be conducted with a permit, and some restricted zones where no extractive activities are allowed.
Cape Point, in the southern part of the park is the southern tip of theCape Peninsula, it is not the Cape of Good Hope, which is slightly to the west, and not the southern tip of Africa, The most southerly point of the continent is atCape Agulhas in theOverberg.
TheKhoekhoe people were the inhabitants of theWestern Cape before the arrival of European explorers. In 1488 the Portuguese explorerBartolomeu Dias was the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope, so named because it offered a route to India. In 1652 the Dutch established a settlement at Cape Town that served as a refreshment station for their ships plying between Europe and the Far East.
The first lighthouse, at 238 m above sea level, was built at Cape Point in 1859.
Even though the southern part of the peninsula had been a game park for may years,Table Mountain itself was first declared a national park in the 1960's under the care of the Table Mountain Preservation Board. Over the years other parts of the peninsula were added to the national park and today it incorporates a large part of the peninsula. Since 2004, the property has been included as part of the UNESCOCape Floristic RegionWorld Heritage Site.
Were it not for theCape Flats, a "beach" of aeolian sand between the Cape Peninisula , Tygerberg, and theHottentots Holland Mountains, the Cape Peninsula would be a rocky island withTable Mountain, close to its northern limit reaching an altitude of 1084 m above sea level, 50 km from north to south and up to 10 km located some 30 to 40 km off the African coast. Geologically, the peninsula consists of a sandstone cap above a substrata of Cape Granite and Tygerberg sedimentary rocks. The initial European settlement was in a hollow between Table Mountain andTable Bay. Further settlements rapidly developed along the lower east-facing slopes of Table Mountain. Development also spread westward and south along the coastline from Central Cape Town but not to the same degree. There are a few fishing villages on the peninsula coast.
TheCape Peninsula offers some typicalfynbos vegetation. In the reserve are also a number ofostriches andantelopes. Thebaboons are used to people and often steal objects from tourists. Do not feed them! If a baboon approaches you, keep all food well hidden, and walk away facing the baboon but do not make eye contact. As long as they are not attacking you, leave them alone in their natural habitat (photos are allowed).
The peninsula has a warn Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and dry, warm summers. Average January maximum and minimum temperatures are 26° and 10°C respectively and average July maximum and minimum temperatures are 17° and 7°C respectively. Temperatures seldom drop below zero. Due to the mountain, the is considerable variation in rainfall with an annual average of 1500 mm in the Cape Town suburb of Newlands, but only 500 mm in Camps Bay (9 km away). The bulk of the rain falls during the winter months (April to September).
Most sections of the park do not require any fees to be paid, specifically
Table Mountain cable car: first car up at 8:30AM, last car up 4:30PM-9:30PM depending on the time of year. Ticket prices, return/one-way (valid until 20 Sep 2017):
Daily park fees (valid until 31 Oct 2017):
The easiest way to see the park is by car. Most major international car hire companies have offices inCape Town. Traffic drives on the left, distances are given in kilometres and road signs are generally compatible with European road signs. Roads are sealed and are usually well sign-posted.
The principal railway line in the area is the suburban that links-33.921318.42431Cape Town and-34.186718.42512Simonstown. This line is designed to handle commuter traffic, but does provide a link to Hout Bay and Simonstown. Trains may not be running all the way to Simon's Town
There are also two cable-hauled transport systems within the region, both of which are oriented towards the tourist traffic:
There is a small curio shop located atCape Point
Table Mountain
Simonstown
Cape Point
Cape of Good Hope
Tokai Forest
Be wary of approaching chacma baboons at Cape Point. They regularly attack tourists. They usually won't hurt you much, but will steal food and any other thing that might smell of food, whether or not you are holding it in your hands or in a pack. If one approaches you, walk backwards slowly, facing the baboon, but be aware that there will usually be others around. When driving past in your car or stopping nearby, close all windows!
| Thispark travel guide toTable Mountain National Parkis ausable article. It has information about the park, for getting in, about a few attractions, and about accommodations in the park. An adventurous person could use this article, but pleasefeel free to improve itby editing the page. |
