Kruger National Park experienced massive flooding in January 2026, and stunned everyone on safari. More than just welcome rainfall, it reshaped a lot of the bushveld, and even seasoned rangers were taken aback by it. Read on to find out which camps are open and how to plan your next trip to the iconic wildlife reserve in South Africa.
Strategic Planning For Your Next Trip
If you booked a trip for later this year, or planned one on your bucketlist, visiting Kruger isn’t completely out of the question. That’s the good news. However, the floods took out some bridges and some accommodation became filled with mud and other destruction took place. So, some strategic planning is called for.
Fortunately, it’s a massive conservation area. Kruger National Park covers an area of roughly 7,576 square miles. It stretches over two provinces in South Africa: Limpopo and Mpumalanga. At about 220 miles long, and 40 miles wide, (almost the size of New Jersey in the USA), it brings lots of different ecosystems. So, the entire park isn’t uninhabitable.
Limited Roads & Camp Access
Nevertheless, large areas of land, roads, and infrastructure were damaged. For example, in the south-eastern corner at Crocodile Bridge, things went pear-shaped very quickly. Then, some central areas also saw some hard-hit zones. In fact recent updates from the South Africa National Parks website notes that fixes for broken bridges and roads around Letaba might last many months, possibly years.
Naturally, that throws out some curveballs for travelers by car. Plus, it limits where safari operators can venture. Essentially, the flooding split the Kruger National Park down the middle. Basically, it’s split into two halves so navigating from the southern areas to the northern seems almost impossible.
Planning Your Trip
Planning a trip right now probably means you can’t be as selective about your camp destination as in the past. After all, many of the popular satellite camps and smaller sites became ghost villages. Plus, many roads remain inaccessible. For example, if you booked your accommodation at Talamati, expect a cancellation if you haven’t already gotten one. And it might be a scramble to find a different camp.
However, the disaster isn’t all bad news for those who plan a trip to Kruger in the near future. At this time of the year, most folks expect the forests and open areas to green up.
This year, it seems almost dazzling. Plenty of life thrives, although it might be a bit hard to spot those lions.
Bigger Camps Are More Viable
If you still plan to visit there, then try and opt for bigger camps like Skukuza or Satara. The main hubs have the resources to get back on their feet quickly. Potentially, anywhere you find accommodation, restaurants might limit their menus due to the logistics of deliveries, and, if you self cater, probably it would be a idea to bring your own food and refreshments. After all, the park stores might not be all that well stocked for a bit.
However, the massive reserve hasn’t lost any of its magic. So, don’t write Kruger National Park off as a nothing burger for the next few years. Rather than trying to do the entire north to south route, rather find a camp and stay there. Take the time to visit the loop roads. But most gravel roads remain closed. Stop at new waterholes and watch the birds. Actually it’s a rare opportunity to see the bushveld rejuvenate after years of low rainfall.
Current Open & Closed Facilities
Main camps that are open as of January 30:
- Skukuza
- Berg-en-Dal
- Pretoriuskop
- Orpen
- Mopani, and
- Punda Maria
Satellite and Bush camps that are open seem few, but you can still book Bateleur Bushveld Camp.
Closed restcamps
- Lower Sabie
- Crocodile Bridge
- Letaba
- Olifants
- Shingwedzi.
The more remote camps of Sirheni, Shimuwini, Talamati, and Mbiyamiti remain closed, as does the Pafuri Border Camp.
Limited Day Visitors
Travelers should also note that daily quotas have been introduced at the Paul Kruger, Phabeni, and Malelane entrance gates. Meanwhile, if you stay outside the park at places like Marloth Park on the southern border, the Crocodile Bridge gate should soon reopen.
Be sure to check the official SANParks News Page ahead of your trip or booking, as conditions might change.
Do you still plan on visiting the reserve after the January flood? Shout out in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your travel news and updates.