Is Marloth Park in Kruger National Park?
No. Marloth Park is a town just outside Kruger National Park, on the south bank of the Crocodile River, and Kruger is on the north bank. The closest gate, Crocodile Bridge, is 15-20 km away by road, about 20-30 min.
What separates Marloth from Kruger
The Crocodile River is Kruger's southern boundary, and the houses along the river in Marloth look straight across it into the park. A veterinary fence also runs between Marloth Park and Kruger. It keeps most of Kruger's big animals on their side, though now and then one gets through. Lions sometimes cross into Marloth, and in July 2026 a buffalo bull got through it, probably at one of the ditches that run under the fence. The safety page says what to do if you see one.
From a house or viewpoint on the river you can often see elephants, and sometimes lions, on the Kruger bank without paying park fees. To drive in the park, you go in through a gate like any other visitor.
Which gate to use
| Gate | From Marloth Park | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Crocodile Bridge | 15-20 km | The usual gate for Marloth guests. The road north leads to Lower Sabie. |
| Malelane | 35-39 km | Berg-en-Dal and the south-western roads, or when Crocodile Bridge is closed. |
The distance depends on where in Marloth you're staying. Crocodile Bridge has closed when the river flooded, as it did for about a week in January 2026, so in a wet summer check that it's open before you set off. The Crocodile Bridge gate guide has its hours, phone number and tips, and Kruger gate times has the hours for every month.
Do you pay Kruger fees to stay in Marloth?
No. Marloth Park isn't a SANParks area, so you only pay Kruger's daily conservation fee on the days you drive into the park. From 1 November 2026 that's R140 per South African adult per day. Kruger fees has every rate.
How a stay in Marloth differs from Kruger
In Marloth you can walk around your garden, braai on the stoep after dark and have giraffe or kudu at the fence, which you can't do in a Kruger rest camp. What you give up is time on Kruger's roads: you queue at the gate in the morning and have to be out by closing time. Marloth Park or inside Kruger? compares the two properly.
