Located in central

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, the Free State Parks are the responsibility of the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs of the Free State Province.

Free State

National Parks

{{Main, South African National Parks *

Golden Gate Highlands National Park Golden Gate Highlands National Park is located in Free State (South African province), Free State, South Africa, near the Lesotho border. It covers an area of . The park's most notable features are its golden, ochre, and orange-hued, deeply eros ...

, incorporating the former

QwaQwa National Park The QwaQwa National Park is part of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park and the Maloti-Drakensberg Park and comprises the former Bantustan (homeland) of QwaQwa. It is approximately 60 km from Harrismith on the Golden Gate Road (R712) an ...

World Heritage Sites

Vredefort Dome The Vredefort impact structure is one of the largest impact structures on Earth. The crater, which has since been eroded away, has been estimated at across when it was formed, the latter estimate suggesting the initial crater was larger than ...

Private and Other Parks

* Caledon Nature Reserve around the Welbedacht Dam. * Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve * Gariep Nature Reserve formerly known as ''Hendrik Verwoerd Dam Nature Reserve'', on the Free State side of the

Gariep Dam The Gariep Dam is located in South Africa, near the town of Norvalspont, bordering the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces. Its primary purpose is for irrigation, domestic and industrial use as well as for power generation. It the largest dam ...

; the park on the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

side of the dam is named the

Oviston Nature Reserve Oviston Nature Reserve is a protected area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The nature reserve is managed by Eastern Cape Parks. It is located on the southern shores of the Gariep Dam. Overview The Oviston Nature Reserve offers a 16 ...

. * Kalkfontein Nature Reserve around the

Kalkfontein Dam Kalkfontein Dam is a rockfill type dam located on the Riet River, near Koffiefontein, Free State, South Africa. It was established in 1938 and renovated in 1977. The primary purpose of the dam is to serve for irrigation purposes and its hazard ...

. *

Koppies Dam Nature Reserve Koppies Dam Nature Reserve is situated on the highveld of the Free State (province), Free State province of South Africa. The town of Koppies lies 55 km north of Kroonstad, just off the National road N1 (South Africa), N1 and R82 (South A ...

Laohu Valley Reserve The Laohu Valley Reserve (LVR) is a nature reserve located near Philippolis in the Free State and near Vanderkloof Dam in the Northern Cape of South Africa. It is a roughly 350-square-kilometre private reserve. It has been created with the ai ...

Maria Moroka Nature Reserve Maria Moroka National Park is named after Chieftainess Maria Moipone Moroka of the Barolong Tribe in Thaba Nchu. The national park is near Thaba Nchu in the Mangaung District of the Free State (province), Free State Province, South Africa. The par ...

* Paul Saunders Nature Reserve * Rolfontein Nature Reserve around the

Vanderkloof Dam The Vanderkloof Dam (originally the P. K. Le Roux Dam) is situated approximately downstream from Gariep Dam and is fed by the Orange River, South Africa's largest river. Vanderkloof Dam is the second-largest dam in South Africa (in volume), hav ...

. * Rustfontein Dam Nature Reserve * Sandveld Nature Reserve around the

Bloemhof Dam Bloemhof Dam is a dam in South Africa. It was originally known as the Oppermansdrif Dam when under construction during the late 1960s. It is located at the confluence of the Vaal River and the Vet River, on the border between the North West and ...

( Free State side only); the park on the

North West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each ...

is called the

Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve Bloemhof is an agricultural town of about 2,000 inhabitants situated on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province of South Africa. History It was founded in August 1864 when diamonds were discovered in the area. The town was established ...

. * Seekoei-vlei Nature Reserve *

Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve is an 18,000 ha reserve situated to the south west of Harrismith, Free State, South Africa. The reserve is close to the Drakensberg Mountain nature reserve. The reserve offers campsites, hiking trails and a larg ...

around the

Sterkfontein Dam The Sterkfontein Dam, located just outside the town of Harrismith, in the Free State, province of South Africa, is part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project and the Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme, and located on the Nuwejaarspruit, a tributary ...

. *

Soetdoring Nature Reserve Soetdoring Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Free State, South Africa. It covers approximately . The Modder River The Modder River is a river in South Africa. It is a tributary of the Riet River that forms part of the border between th ...

around the

Krugersdrift Dam The Krugersdrift Dam in the Modder River is 35 km northwest of Bloemfontein, Free State Province of South Africa with a capacity of 73.2 million cubic metres. It was built in 1970 with a wall length of 3114 m, height of 26 m and a surface a ...

. * Tussen-die- Riviere Nature Reserve, near the

. *

Willem Pretorius Game Reserve Willem Pretorius Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality of South Africa, encircling the Allemanskraal Dam. The Sand River flows from east to west through the reserve. It was opened to the public in ...

around the

Allemanskraal Dam The Allemanskraal Dam is a dam in the Free State province of South Africa, on the Sand River. It was established in 1960. The reservoir has a gross capacity of , and a surface area of , the dam wall is high. The dam is surrounded by, and fo ...

Defunct Park

* Vaalbos National Park has been closed down.

Free State

National Parks

World Heritage Sites

Private and Other Parks

Defunct Park

See also