[1] The highest peak is Thaba Ntlenyana rising to 3,482 metres.

[2]: 7 The park is situated in the Drakensberg Mountains which form the highest areas in the sub-region, and support unique montane and sub-alpine ecosystems.

These ecosystems hold a globally significant plant and animal biodiversity, with unique habitats and high levels of endemism.

The park is also home to the greatest gallery of rock art in the world with hundreds of sites and many thousands of images painted by the Bushmen (San people).

The Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Area was conceived as a Peace park, covering about 8 113 km2, consisting of 5 170 km2 (64%) in Lesotho and 2 943 km2 (36%) in KwaZulu-Natal.