Although some areas in the foothills can be reached by motor vehicle, there are no roads into the mountains. All access has to be on foot and thus the region has become a mecca for experienced walkers and climbers. An excursion into the mountains should not be undertaken lightly, and visitors should report to the National Parks and Wild Life office in Chimanimani Eland Sanctuary near Chimanimani village.
The terrain is rugged, with few paths or tracks, and the weather is subject to swift changes but with proper preparation a journey into the range offers the visitor views of some of Zimbabwe's most majestic mountain scenery and untouched wilderness. The mountains are cut by numerous streams and rivers, some of which have been stocked with trout.
There is a refuge hut overlooking the Bundi River, a three-hour walk from the entry point into the park. The mountains' diverse flora includes wild sweet peas, proteas, yellowwoods, Howmans cliff aloes, mountain hibiscus and many species of ferns and orchids. The brilliant Disa ornithantha, which blooms in January and February, is a special feature.
Sable antelope, bushbuck and eland are regularly sighted in the mountains and there are a number of blue duiker. Leopard are present but seldom seen. The avifauna includes purple-crested louries, malachite sunbirds, laughing doves, trumpeter hornbills, secretary birds, francolins and several species of eagles and other raptors.