Maphelane log cabins and campsite
Log cabins and campsite (closed) · Maphelane section, south bank of the St Lucia and Mfolozi mouth · iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife until 28 February 2026)
A drawing, because nobody has sent us a photograph of Maphelane log cabins and campsite yet. Send five and this page changes the same week.
Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (iSimangaliso Authority)
Maphelane's log cabins and campsite on the south bank of the river mouth have been closed since late 2018, when Ezemvelo shut the resort until further notice after flooding of the road between the gate and the beach (For Anglers, February 2020). stluciasa.com still listed it as closed in September 2026, and no reopening notice has been found, although iSimangaliso's own accommodation page lists the cabins as if open. Do not plan a stay here. If you visit the section, note that Maphelane is reached from the N2 via KwaMbonambi: 85 km and nearly 2.5 hours from St Lucia, because there is no crossing at the mouth.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The highest vegetated dunes in the park are here
- Over 200 bird species, per iSimangaliso
Cons
- Closed since late 2018
- Still advertised on the Authority's own page
- Not reachable from St Lucia across the mouth
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. iSimangaliso Wetland Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryGate fee and conservation levy plus the R12 accommodation levy, counted per day because no official document says whether multi-night guests pay the gate fee once.
- $9per person, per day
- VehicleR74 car fee, counted per day for the same reason.
- $5per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $69 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Sleeping inside the boundary is what keeps that low. Overnight guests add the R12 accommodation levy per night, against $8 a day for anyone driving in from outside.
These are the 2024/25 rates, which expired on 30 November 2025; no newer table has been published. Sodwana, the Coastal Forest and Kosi Bay charge about half (R71 per international adult). Lodges in St Lucia town are outside every gate.
The full fee schedule for iSimangaliso Wetland ParkRates at Maphelane log cabins and campsite
Rates on request. Closed since late 2018, so no rate applies. The Maphelane gate fee on the 2024/25 table was R57 per South African adult and R120 per international adult.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates checked against the research dossier of 24 September 2026. State-camp prices come from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's 2023/24 tariff (1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024), the last official camp tariff that could be read; treat them as a floor, because iSimangaliso has published none since it took the camps over on 1 March 2026. Thonga Beach Lodge, Kosi Forest Lodge, Coral Divers, Mabibi Beach Camp and Umlilo Lodge are priced from their own sites. Every figure marked 'reseller rate' comes from SA-Venues, LekkeSlaap, Siyabona or a booking agent, uses that site's 'from' price, and usually prices a room for two; we halve it to give a per-person figure. Dollar figures use R16.36 to the dollar (24 September 2026) and are rounded. Gate fees are extra everywhere except in St Lucia town: R62 per South African adult and R130 per international adult at the dearest gates on the 2024/25 table, which expired on 30 November 2025 with no successor published.
Questions about Maphelane log cabins and campsite
Is Maphelane open?
No. It has been closed since late 2018, and no reopening notice has been found. iSimangaliso's accommodation page still lists it, which is out of date.
Can you get to Maphelane from St Lucia?
Only by road via the N2 and KwaMbonambi: 85 km and about 2h23. There is no crossing at the mouth.
Where can I stay instead?
Sugarloaf campsite in St Lucia town or Cape Vidal camp on the Eastern Shores are the nearest state options.