West Coast National Park marks 40 years of conservation

The West Coast National Park has just celebrated four decades of protecting one of South Africa’s most extraordinary coastal ecosystems.

If you haven't already visited the turquoise Langebaan Lagoon or the rugged spring wonders of Potsberg then you've got some serious road-trip plans to make.

The 40-year milestone marks the park's conservation efforts, including species monitoring (yes, like the camera-ready Cape Leopard recently spotted in the park), habitat restoration, and the kind of behind-the-scenes work that keeps this Ramsar-listed lagoon pristine.

It’s also a nod to the people who have kept it thriving, from long-serving rangers to community partners and volunteer teams who’ve helped shape the park into the crowd-puller it is today.   

So how do you make the most of the West Coast National Park as it enters its fabulous forties? 

Hit the West Coast classics:

• Time your visit for wildflower season - West Coast National Park is just 1.5 hours (120km) from Cape Town and perfect for a day trip in August–September. 

Postberg is only open to the public seasonally. And birders, bring your binoculars - more than 250 species call the park home

• Pack a picnic and head for any one of the villages and fishing towns along the R27 from Yzerfontein to Paternoster.

SEE: SANParks' new 2025/26 tariffs: These are SA's cheapest parks to visit

With SANParks reaffirming long-term commitments to sustainability and community partnerships - part of its Vision 2040 - the park is looking ahead to another 40 years of protecting one of the Western Cape’s most cherished natural playgrounds.