Nyanga National Park was also an extension of the Udu Dam, but it grew in the area when the Inyanga Block and the Kwaraguza ranches were bought back in the nineties. The road going to the national park is very beautiful and thus, visitors always love to stop and take pictures of the scenery.

Nyanga (formerly known as Inyanga) is a town in the province of Manicaland, Zimbabwe, located adjacent to Nyanga National Park in the Eastern Highlands about 105 km north of Mutare. According to the 1982 Population Census, the town had a population of 2,973. The highest mountain in Zimbabwe, Mount Nyangani lies about 15 km from the village. Its highest peak rises to 2,600 m above sea level. Nyanga is a popular tourist destination with its trout fishing, golf courses, mountain hikes, and holiday resorts. Nyanga also accommodates the highest waterfalls in the country – the Mtarazi Falls are about 760 m high.

The surrounding areas also contain many Stone Age and Iron Age archaeological remains such as pit structures, stone forts, terraces, and pathways.
In the town is the bustling township of Nyamhuka, around which there is an ever-expanding growth of high and medium density housing. The Nyanga Area has long been regarded as a place of great natural beauty. In 1896, Cecil John Rhodes wrote to his agent: “Dear McDonald, Inyanga is much finer than you described… Before it is all gone, buy me quickly up to 100 000 acres [400 km²], and be sure to take in the Pungwe Falls. I would like to try sheep and apple growing.”

Size of Nyanga National Park

The park and the Nyanga Highlands rise to 2,592m at Mount Nyangani, Zimbabwe’s highest point. The area (314km²) is characterized by rolling hilltops.

Location of Nyanga National Park

Nyanga National Park lies in the north of Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands. One of the first national parks to be declared in the country, it contains the highest land in Zimbabwe, with green hills and perennial rivers.

How to get to Nyanga National Park

Nyanga National Park is three-hour drive south-east of Harare, is one of the capital’s favorite spots for trout fishing, climbing, horse riding, canoeing.

From Harare take the A3 towards Mutare traveling through Ruwa, Melfort, and Bromley. At 74 KM reach Marondera, 106 KM reach Macheke, 134 KM reach Headlands and 168 KM reach Rusape and turn left onto the A14 towards Juliasdale. 239 KM reach Juliasdale, 259 KM reach Nyanga village.

Things to do in Nyanga National Park Zimbabwe

Boating, sailing, and canoeing are popular activities. The Park’s five dams are all suitable for boating and rowing and boats can be hired at Rhodes, Mare, and Udu Dams.

Swimming – visitors can swim at Nyangombe pool where the clear, crisp, and bilharzia-free Nyangombe River spills over a natural rock slide and can then dry off on the sandy beach. There is also a swimming weir in the Udu River below Udu Dam.

Hiking trails, birding & walks – there are numerous hiking paths and trails leading to most of the waterfalls and many of the ruins, аnd along the rivers And Mountains in the Park. The scenic beauty of many of the roads аnd tracks through both the forest areas and open highlands аlsо makes these attractive for hiking.

The main route up Mount Inyangani requires an invigorating hike аnd offers spectacular views across the Park, the Nyanga District in Mozambique.

Short Horse – riding trails are available around Nyangwe Fort, the Experimental Fruit Station, and Mare Dam, as well as longer trails in Warrendale, beyond Udu Dam. The trails start and end at the pony trails office, on the gravel road from the National Park headquarters to Mare Dam.

Birding – Nyanga is one of Zimbabwe’s birding hotspots. Over 300 species have been recorded, of which several are near-endemics. The park is part of the globally important Eastern Zimbabwe Mountains Endemic Bird Area.

When to visit Nyanga National Park

Nyanga NP can be visited at any time of the year. The birdlife is good year-round, but at its best from November to April when the migratory birds are present, and many resident birds are in breeding plumage. The scenery is at its best in the Wet season (November to March) or the beginning of the Dry season (April-May). At this time, the vegetation will be lush and green, and the air will be clear and crisp. The area gets very hazy towards the end of the Dry season. Wildlife viewing is hit-and-miss at any time of the year. Roads might get difficult to navigate in the Wet season.

Where to stay in Nyanga National Park

Rhodes Nyanga Hotel

Built as a holiday cottage in the 1800s by Cecil John Rhodes and converted into a hotel in 1933, the Rhodes Nyanga Hotel is a 24 roomed resort that offers a truly African experience.

Set in manicured gardens with breath-taking views from a veranda overlooking the lake, the hotel is furnished in true colonial fashion and boasts rondavels which are westernized versions of the traditional African hut – a style popularised during the turn of the century.

Nyanga Mountain Hotel

The Montclair was built as a getaway resort for families in the capital and the surrounding farming communities in 1949 by Mr. J.R.A Smith. He named the completed sixty-four bed-roomed house Dannakay catering lodge after his two daughters Danna and Kay. The Dannakay was later renamed the Nyanga Mountain Hotel. In the early 1960s, the hotel was renamed Montclair Mountains Hotel.