 Owing to its vast size, rugged terrain and its location away from main tourist routes, large tracts of Gonarezhou remain as pristine wilderness.At 5,053 km2, Gonarezhou is the country's second largest National Park after Hwange National Park.The name Gonarezhou is translated from the Shona as meaning "The Place of Elephants"

Gonarezhou National Park forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Gonarezhou with the Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.