Scenic pullout · Kruger National Park
Quiet northern waterhole with elephants and eland, no frills
Overview
A classic northern Kruger waterhole stop, Klopperfontein is all about patient wildlife watching. It sits roughly 14 miles north of Punda Maria and has no frills—just a simple, productive place to park, switch off the engine, and let the animals come to you.
Map
Local know-how
Arrive at first light or the last 90 minutes for the best activity.
Plan bathroom and snack stops at Punda Maria; there are no facilities here.
Switch off the engine and give it 30–60 minutes—patience pays.
Mind monthly gate closing times and the 14‑mile return to Punda Maria.
Stay in your vehicle unless signage says otherwise, especially around elephants.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kruger Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kruger National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Kruger audio tourRecorded for this place
Klopperfontein Waterhole: A Patient Eland Spot“You're coming up to Klopperfontein Waterhole, a simple and quiet pull-off in the far north. This is a classic sit-and-wait location that's good for seeing elephants and buffalo.”
Plays as you drive up to Klopperfontein Waterhole Viewpoint in the Parkwolf Kruger Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Expect steady traffic from general game like zebra and buffalo, with elephants frequently using the water. Eland are a noted specialty here, and lion are possible on the fringes. Birding around the mud margins and nearby trees can be excellent if you give it time.
There are two straightforward viewing spots: the windmill and the dam. The area lies on a transition between mopaneveld and sandveld, which helps support a diverse mix of vegetation and wildlife. Historically, the site was used by ivory hunters; it’s named after Dirk Klopper.
Treat it as a roadside viewpoint: remain in your vehicle unless signage states otherwise. Park for a broad view of the shoreline, cut the engine, and scan slowly with binoculars. Thirty to sixty unhurried minutes often beats a quick look.
Bring binoculars and a camera with some reach, plus water and snacks. Watch approach paths for dust and listen for alarm calls—predators often move early and late. Keep distances respectful, especially around elephants.
Wildlife
1,312 sightingsLionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
727 sightingsLeopardMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
2,403 sightingsElephantMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
425 sightingsWhite RhinocerosMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
547 sightingsBuffaloMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
502 sightingsWild DogMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kruger. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Parkwolf’s Kruger ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
