The Tswaing Crater is one of the best-preserved impact craters in the world.
The name 'Tswaing' means 'Place of Salt' in Setswana.
The meteorite that formed the crater is estimated to have been between 30 and 50 meters in diameter.
A factory for salt extraction operated on the site until the mid-20th century, the ruins of which can still be observed.
The saline lake at the bottom of the crater contains significant deposits of halite and trona.
Soutpan, located north of Pretoria, is defined by the Tswaing Crater, an impact crater formed approximately 220,000 years ago by a meteorite. The site features a 1.13-kilometer-wide crater basin that contains a saline lake, known for its high concentrations of salt and soda. Historical evidence suggests the area was utilized by Middle Stone Age people for salt extraction and has seen various human occupations over millennia. The site serves as an outdoor museum, allowing visitors to walk through a crater floor that exhibits unique geological features. The landscape is characterized by dry savanna vegetation and diverse bird life attracted to the saline pan. It remains a site of ongoing geological and archaeological research. The crater floor is accessible via hiking trails that traverse the transition between the rim and the basin.
The lookout point on the crater rim offering a panoramic view of the basin and saline lake.
Bring a hat and sunscreen as there is minimal shade on the crater floor.
Wear sturdy, closed-toe hiking shoes to navigate uneven volcanic soil and rock.
Carry at least two liters of water, as there are no potable water sources on the trail.
Do not attempt to walk on the soft, potentially unstable salt crust of the pan itself.
Practice 'leave no trace' principles; do not remove geological samples or artifacts from the crater floor.
