Nyanga National Park

Nyanga covers the northern part of the Eastern Highlands, rolling grassland and pine plantation at around two thousand metres with granite hills, trout streams and the country's highest ground. It is cool enough that frost falls in winter and the vegetation is nothing like the lowveld. Scattered across the park are stone-walled terraces and pit structures built by earlier farming communities, and Mount Nyangani rises at its centre.

Background

Established in 1926, Nyanga was one of the first national parks declared in Zimbabwe. It covers 472 square kilometres, mostly rolling downland at altitudes between 1,800 and 2,593 metres, and its southern part was once the separate Mutarazi Falls National Park. Mutarazi Falls, the highest waterfall in the country, drops 2499 feet in two stages down granite cliffs to the Honde River valley. The Pungwe River starts at the base of Nyangani and falls 787 feet into the wooded Pungwe Gorge. The park nearly doubled in size in the late 1990s, and adding Nyazengu farm in 2014 completed the formal protection of Nyangani and the Pungwe headwaters. Its two largest archaeological sites are Nyangwe Fort and Chawomera Fort.

Source: Wikipedia, "Nyanga National Park"

What you'll find

• Mount Nyangani - the highest point in Zimbabwe, within the park.
• The stone terraces - agricultural terracing built by earlier farming communities.
• The pit structures - stone-lined enclosures scattered across the hills.
• The trout dams - the stocked waters the highlands are known for.

When to go

April to October is the dry season and best for walking. Winter nights fall below freezing at this altitude. The rains from November to March bring mist and mud.

Good to know

It is cold at night and visitors from the lowveld arrive underdressed. Mist closes the views frequently. Park facilities are dated and maintenance is uneven.

Nearby

Mount Nyangani is inside the park, and Mutarazi Falls are south.

Key facts