Traveling from Pilanesberg National Park to Johannesburg or Pretoria is a 2 hour drive. The history of Pilanesberg National Park is unique amongst other national parks in Africa. The park's rugged landscape, well-watered valleys and attractive dwelling sites have made it an ideal site for human settlement for thousands of years.

Since the Operation Genisis in 1979 the Pilanesberg National Park has undertaken  the largest game translocation ever. Tourists have been able to take note of nature's alphabet from Aardvark to Zebra.

The park is home to Lion, Leopard, Black and White Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. Brown Hyaena, fleet-footed Cheetah, the majestic Sable, Giraffe, Zebra, Hippo and Crocodile are some of the animals in the park. Pilanesberg is located within the transition zone of the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, known as 'Bushveld'.

Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegitation occur because of this transition zone. Springbok, Brown Hyaena, the Redeyed Bulbul, and Camel Thorn trees usually found in arid areas are found co-habitating with moist-area-limited Impala, Blackeyed Bulbul and Cape Chestnut trees. The colourful hues, diverse habitats and panoramic views will delight photographers and visitor.

The Park's Alkaline Ring Complex was formed by volcanic eruptions some 1 200 million years ago. Ancient, even by geological time scales this extinct volcano is the most perfect example of an alkaline ring complex. There are 2 other alkaline volcanoes in the world,  the one in Russia and in Greenland, and they are not clearly defined as Pilanesberg National Park.