The Impendle Nature Reserve is located 75 km west of Pietermaritzburg on the Southern Drakensberg route, between Boston, Bulwer and Impendle. The reserve falls within the southern borders of the Natal midlands and uplands, with the Mkhomazi River forming part of its southern boundary. It is surrounded on two sides by the former KwaZulu homelands, with plantations and private cattle farms bordering the remaining eastern areas. Deep gorges cut through the escarpment where cataracts, waterfalls and rocky pools abound below the filtered sunlight of the forest canopy. Numerous species of lilies, irises and orchids can be seen on the rocky hills and grasslands, as well as along the stream banks. There are nine perennial earth dams and a number of springs and seepage areas within the reserve.

Most common animals to be seen in the reserve are common reedbuck, mountain reedbuck, grey duiker, vervet monkey and bushbuck. Rare species which occur in the reserve include oribi, serval and blue duiker. Other animals that can be seen are the Natal red rock rabbit, caracal, genet, Cape clawless otter and rock hyrax. The most popular activities in the reserve are picnicking and bird watching, and Impendle is one of the few remaining breeding areas in KwaZulu-Natal of the rare blue swallow. Other birds which may be seen in the reserve are bald ibis, crowned and marshall eagle, wattled crane, ground hornbill, secretary bird, Stanleys bustard, Cape white-eye, sombre bulbul, bou bou strike, cape canary, olive bush shrike, collard sunbird, Cape batis, Cape robin, chorister robin and jackal buzzard.

From the mid 19th century farmers settled here to breed livestock for meat and dairy products. Parts of the forest were extremely overexploited to produce building material on a commercial basis, which was obtained primarily from yellowwood trees. The lower slopes and flats which lie adjacent to the Umkomazi river were once used to farm mielies and various other crops and vegetables. In 1983 this land was expropriated from the farmers and was administrated by the former Department of Development Aid and the South African Development Trust Corporation. Due to its conservation potential the land was then handed over to the Natal Provincial Administration. When the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service (KZN Wildlife) was formed in 1994 with the amalgamation of the Natal Parks Board and the KwaZulu Directorate Of Nature Conservation, the administration of the reserve was transferred to that body. The reserve may be visited by prior arrangement by phoning the Officer-in-Charge on (033) 9969613.