Spitskop Nature Reserve is a useful taste of the Kalahari without committing to the long haul to Kgalagadi. Gravel roads and short trails cross sandy flats around a rocky koppie, with chances of seeing gemsbok, eland, springbok, zebra, ostrich, and smaller desert wildlife.
It is not a big-game reserve and there are no predators to build a safari around. Its value is quieter: space, dry-country light, and a close look at the landscape that surrounds Upington.