Etosha Map: Gates, Camps, Waterholes & Routes

Etosha National Park Map: Gates, Camps, Waterholes & Routes

Etosha National Park covers 22,270 km² of northern Namibia. This page is the canonical reference map — all five entry gates, three NWR rest camps, the Dolomite Camp in the western concession, the major waterholes, the Etosha Pan itself, and the main tourist roads — with exact coordinates, travel distances, and a planning framework for choosing where to enter and where to stay.

Interactive Map

The map below shows Etosha National Park centred on Okaukuejo, with the Etosha Pan visible to the north and all three rest camps marked. Zoom in to locate individual waterholes and camps; zoom out to see Etosha’s position within Namibia relative to Windhoek (~400 km south) and Swakopmund (~500 km south-west).

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. For offline planning, download the region via OpenStreetMap export or use a GPS navigation app such as Maps.me or OsmAnd, which include Etosha’s roads and waterholes at full detail.

Park Gates — Entry Points and Coordinates

Etosha has five entry gates. Which one you use depends on your direction of travel and which camp you’ve booked for your first night. Gate opening hours align with sunrise and sunset and change monthly.

All gates are staffed 24 hours a day for emergencies but only process tourist entry between sunrise and sunset. Gate fees (NAD 150 per foreign adult, NAD 50 per vehicle, per day) are paid at the gate in cash or by card. Keep the receipt — you will be asked to present it at camp check-in and on the way out.

Rest Camps Inside the Park

Four accommodations exist inside the park fence. Three are operated by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) and one (Dolomite) is a premium-priced concession operated by NWR on the western perimeter.

Camp-to-camp distances (via main tourist road, approximate):

• Okaukuejo → Halali: 70 km (~1 h 45 min, allowing for game-viewing stops)
• Halali → Namutoni: 75 km (~2 h)
• Okaukuejo → Dolomite: 135 km (~3 h 30 min, via Olifantsbad and Rietfontein)
• Okaukuejo → Namutoni: 140 km (~3 h 15 min direct)

Signature Waterholes — Where to Find Which Wildlife

Of Etosha’s ~50 perennial and artesian waterholes, a dozen or so account for the majority of memorable sightings. Coordinates below are accurate to roughly 100 m (sufficient for GPS-assisted navigation on gravel roads inside the park).

The Etosha Pan Itself

The Etosha Pan covers approximately 4,760 km² — roughly 23% of the park’s total area — and is the single most visible feature from space. Centred approximately at -18.9500, 16.3333, it stretches roughly 130 km east-to-west and up to 50 km north-to-south at its widest. The main tourist road (the C38 corridor that links the three rest camps) hugs the pan’s southern rim for most of its length; several designated viewpoints — Pan Viewpoint (-19.0633, 15.9375), Etosha Lookout (-18.9622, 16.2378), and Halali Pan View (-19.0297, 16.4550) — allow visitors to drive onto the pan edge for photography. Driving onto the pan surface is forbidden year-round.

Main Tourist Roads and Driving Distances

The road network inside Etosha is well-graded gravel (C38 is the backbone), maintained by MEFT and NWR jointly. A standard 2WD sedan is adequate in the dry season; a high-clearance SUV or 4×4 is recommended year-round and strongly advised after heavy rain. Inside the park the maximum speed limit is 60 km/h and is enforced; off-road driving is strictly prohibited.

• Anderson Gate → Okaukuejo: 17 km tarmac, 20 min
• Okaukuejo → Halali: 70 km gravel, ~1 h 45 min with stops
• Halali → Namutoni: 75 km gravel, ~2 h
• Namutoni → Von Lindequist Gate: 8 km gravel, 10 min
• Okaukuejo → Galton Gate (western loop): 155 km gravel via Olifantsbad and Rietfontein, ~4 h
• Galton Gate → Dolomite Camp: 45 km gravel, ~1 h

How to Choose Which Gate and Camp

The correct entry point depends on your onward itinerary:

• Coming from Windhoek for the first time? Enter via Anderson Gate, stay at Okaukuejo for 1–2 nights, then move east to Halali (1 night) and/or Namutoni (1–2 nights), exiting via Von Lindequist Gate toward Waterberg or Otjiwarongo.
• Combining Etosha with Damaraland or the Skeleton Coast? Enter via Galton Gate, base at Dolomite Camp, then loop through the western concession to Okaukuejo and continue east. This avoids doubling back.
• Coming from the north (Oshakati, Ondangwa) or Caprivi? Enter via King Nehale Gate, stay at Namutoni, work westward.
• Short visit from Tsumeb or Grootfontein (<3 nights)? Enter via Von Lindequist Gate, focus on the eastern half (Namutoni + Halali), exit via the same gate.

FAQs About the Etosha Map

Is the Etosha Pan visible from space?
Yes. The pan’s high-albedo chalky surface makes it one of the most visually distinctive features of the Southern African subcontinent on satellite imagery. Astronauts on the ISS have photographed it repeatedly.

Are there paved roads inside Etosha?
The only paved section is the short 17 km stretch from Anderson Gate to Okaukuejo. All other interior roads are well-graded gravel.

Can I drive from one gate straight out to another?
Yes — transit permits are issued at the entry gate on request. A full west-to-east transit (Galton → Von Lindequist) takes approximately 8 hours with game-viewing stops and is a rewarding single-day option if you cannot stay overnight.

Where is Dolomite Camp?
Dolomite is on the western edge of the park, 45 km east of Galton Gate at approximately -19.08°, 14.68°. It sits on a raised dolomite outcrop above the savannah and is only accessible via the western concession zone — it cannot be reached from Okaukuejo during normal tourist hours without a separate permit.

Can I use GPS offline inside the park?
Yes, highly recommended. Download the Namibia region in Maps.me or OsmAnd before arriving; mobile-data coverage is intermittent and unreliable deep inside the park.