Karoo National Park, South Africa, is located near the town of Beaufort West, approximately 250 mi/400 km northeast of Cape Town.
Heading into the Karoo, you pass through a landscape of rusty windmills and sheep the color of old corn. Vast plains of stunted bushes disappear into a horizon of jagged peaks, and it's hard to believe grassland once covered the region. The only road signs warn drivers to beware of baboons, and rarely did we see another vehicle.
Wildlife in the park includes the endemic Cape mountain zebra, black wildebeest, various antelope species, tortoises and more than 170 species of birds (including the black eagle and several Karoo endemics). If you want to stretch your legs, you'll find a couple of short, paved trails to follow.
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