|
 Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve - Mpumalanga, South Africa Posted by:  denben
S 24° 40.382 E 030° 48.519
36J E 278254 N 7269485
The Blyde Canyon Reserve's most spectacular stretch is the Blyde River Canyon which is the third largest canyon in the world. It offers visitors a remarkable experience due to many well-positioned viewpoints along the canyon.
Waymark Code: WMJGJG
Location: Mpumalanga, South Africa
Date Posted: 11/16/2013
Views: 10
The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon in the United States and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia, and is the largest 'green canyon' due to its lush subtropical foliage, with the deepest precipitious cliffs of any canyon on the planet. One of the most-visited attractions in South Africa, the Blyde River Canyon is 26 kilometers in length and is, on average, around 800m deep. The Dam itself, when full, is at an altitude of 665m (2182 feet). The Blyde River Canyon Reserve extends along the Blyde River Canyon's winding path, which at every turn offers more and more impressive views over sheer edges dropping 800m into the riverbed. The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve clothes the Canyon's winding path, which offers spectacular views of the Drakensberg escarpment as it plummets to the Lowveld. The Blyde River Canyon empties into the Swadini - or Blydepoort - Dam, which has a number of resorts on its banks, and unencumbered views back up the escarpment. The entire Blyde River Canyon has a number of world-renowned attractions and activities. God's Window and Wonder View hint at the magnitude of the scenery, the 'Pinnacle' is a single quartzite column rising out of the deep wooded canyon and the ‘Three Rondavels' - three huge spirals of dolomite rock rising out of the far wall of the Blyde River canyon, stained with fiery orange lichen - are spectacular. At the meeting point of the Blyde River (river of joy) and the Treur River (river of sorrow) water erosion has created one of the most phenomenal geological phenomenon in South Africa - the ‘Bourke’s Luck Potholes’. The Blyde River Canyon Reserve does not have accommodation itself. However, accommodation can be found in the scenic surroundings and quaint villages that cluster around the reserve. The coordinates were taken at the entrance to the Bourke’s Luck Potholes site. Sources: ( visit link) and ( visit link)
Park Type: Day Use
Activities:
Hiking, horse riding, white water rafting, kloofing, hot-air ballooning, fly-fishing, biking, tours and boat trips on the Blyde Dam
Background:
The Blyde River Canyon extends for 50km (31.07 miles) along the lip of the Drakensberg escarpment. From the canyon rim guests can look eastwards over the layered rocks of the canyon walls and the Three Rondavels to the Lowveld plain, 1 600 metres below.
It was at this point, some 200 million years ago, that the ancient super continent, Gondwana, broke apart and Madagascar and Antarctica tore free from Africa. The broken edge of the continent was gradually tilted upwards by the weight of a vast shallow sea stretching west to beyond Pretoria.
This sea, already ancient when Gondwana was split by these earth-shaping forces, left behind layer upon layer of dolomite and sandstone laid down as sediments over millions of years.
Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is one of the few areas of montane grassland in Mpumalanga that still exists. The grasslands consist of more than 1 000 flora species of which many are endemic, rare or endangered.
Another extraordinary inhabitant is the Taita Falcon which is only found in a few places in the world. Visitors can see a variety of wildlife such as the Klipspringer, Grey Rhebuck, Oribi, Kudu and primates.
Link to Park: [Web Link]
Park Fees: Not listed
Date Established?: Not listed
Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed
|
Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to a waymark in this category, please include the following ...
1. A picture you took at the park.
2. Your favorite activity at the park.
3. How do you like the park.
|