Wilderness National Park


Wilderness National Park, also called the Wilderness Section, is located around the seaside town of Wilderness between the larger towns of George and Knysna, in the Western Cape. It is a protected area of South Africa forming part of the Garden Route National Park.

Description

This natural area stretches from the Touw River mouth to the Eilandvlei estuary and linking into the Swartvlei lake, where it neighbours with the Goukamma Nature Reserve. The wildlife in this natural area is varied, and includes the Knysna seahorse, pansy shell, pied kingfisher, Knysna lourie, grey heron, and little egret.
This park protects three major zones of indigenous forest, four types of fynbos, plus various lakes and winding waterways. There are also a number of interesting historical sites include the Woodville Big Tree and Goudveld.
The Touw River connects a series of three lakes: Eilandvlei, Langvlei and Rondevlei, which host a variety of aquatic species and have been designated as a Ramsar site. Sports within the park include canoeing or bicycling, abseiling, kloofing, paragliding, boating, fishing and hiking.

History

In 1968, the protection of the lakes in the Wilderness area was started through the identification of 450 hectares around the river mouth, including the two lakes as well as the Duiwerivier Kloof. The Wilderness National Park itself was proclaimed in 1987, after being under the control of the Lake Areas Development Board until 1985, whereafter the National Parks Board took over.
In 2008, the Wilderness National Park joined the Garden Route National Park.