Sendelingsdrift Rest Camp — Richtersveld National Park

Sendelingsdrift is the primary entry and exit point for the Richtersveld National Park, sitting right on the Orange River at the border crossing into Namibia. The SANParks-run rest camp here is the most developed option inside the park — you’ll find basic ablutions, braai facilities, and shade shelters. The setting is dramatic: orange quartzite mountains drop into the river and the silence is total once the gate traffic dies down. It’s a proper desert camp, hot as hell in summer, and the launchpad for everything deeper in the park.

Access is via a graded gravel road from Vioolsdrif — standard 4WD territory, though a high-clearance 4WD is essential once you push into the Helskloof and beyond. Book through SANParks well in advance; park capacity is limited and demand from local and international overlanders runs high during the cooler months of May through August. Fuel up before you arrive — there is none inside the park.

Orange River gate camp — Richtersveld's front door.