Naval Hill
A hilltop game reserve in the middle of Bloemfontein — city views, plains game, and the planetarium at the summit.
Trip Role
Ideal stay
Best for
Our take
A city-centre game reserve above Bloemfontein — pair it with the war museum for the one essential Bloemfontein stop.
A city-centre game reserve above Bloemfontein — pair it with the war museum for the one essential Bloemfontein stop.
- Trip Role
- Quick Stop
- Ideal Stay
- 90 minutes
- Best For
- Families, Bloemfontein visitors, nature stops.
- Skip If
- Travellers not in Bloemfontein.
- Go If
- You're overnighting in Bloemfontein and want a 90-minute nature stop.
- Worth Extra Drive
- 0 min
Why it's worth your time
A hill in the middle of Bloemfontein, set aside as the Franklin Game Reserve — one of the only city-centre game reserves in the world. Naval Hill has plains game (springbok, zebra, giraffe, ostrich), a viewpoint over the city, and the old naval observation post that gives it its name. For travellers overnighting in Bloemfontein it's the one in-town nature stop — a 90-minute drive or walk, with the war museum at its base and the city's best viewpoint at the top.
What we love
The city-centre game; the viewpoint; the surprise of plains game above a city.
What to know
Drivable or walkable. The war museum and Women's Memorial are at the base — do both in one stop.