One of Damaraland’s most remote natural attractions is the highly mysterious-looking Messum Crater, which comprises two concentric circles of hills created by a collapsed volcano in the Goboboseb Mountains. The crater measures more than 20km in diameter, creating a vast lost world that you may have all to yourself.
Camping is prohibited inside the crater and the crater is best visited as a day trip from the Brandberg area, where you'll find a handful of accommodation choices. Of its three main entrances, Messum is best accessed along the Messum River from the D2342 west of the Brandberg. Note that you must stick to the tracks at all times, especially if you choose either route involving the fragile lichen plains of the Dorob National Park. If you are driving in this area, you will require the relevant topographic sheets, which are available from the Office of the Surveyor General in Windhoek.
