Maloti-Drakensberg Park spans the mountainous borderlands of Lesotho and South Africa, forming a large protected landscape of high plateaus, steep cliffs, sandstone formations, grasslands, and river valleys. The Lesotho section is centered on Sehlabathebe National Park, while the South African portion includes uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park. The area is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage property for both its natural and cultural importance. Its high-altitude environment supports mountain streams, wetlands, alpine grasslands, and rugged escarpments, creating a landscape that changes noticeably with elevation and weather.

The park is especially important for its collection of San rock art, with thousands of paintings found in caves, rock shelters, and overhangs throughout the Drakensberg. These images depict people, animals, hunting scenes, and spiritual figures, providing evidence of the San people's long relationship with the mountains. In Lesotho, the protected landscape also lies within a region strongly associated with Basotho culture and traditional highland communities. Livestock herding remains an important part of local life, and the mountains continue to influence settlement patterns, seasonal movement, and traditional uses of the surrounding land.

Sehlabathebe National Park contains some of Lesotho's most distinctive mountain scenery, including sandstone arches, rock pools, cliffs, caves, and unusual geological formations. The park's wetlands and highland streams feed rivers that descend toward lower valleys, making the mountains important water catchments. Hiking trails provide access to remote sections of the landscape, while horseback riding is a traditional way to travel through parts of Lesotho's highlands. The wider Drakensberg also contains prominent peaks and escarpments, with views extending across valleys and toward the mountain border between Lesotho and South Africa.

The high-altitude environment supports plants and animals adapted to cold conditions, including several bird species associated with mountain habitats. Bearded vultures and Cape vultures are among the notable birds recorded in the wider Drakensberg region, while the streams and wetlands provide important freshwater habitats. Traditional Basotho foods based on maize, sorghum, beans, and dairy products reflect the agricultural life of the surrounding highlands. The Basotho blanket is another recognizable local detail, valued for its warmth in the cold mountain climate. The combination of rare mountain habitats, San rock art, Basotho traditions, and dramatic geology gives the park its cultural and environmental importance.