Formerly a game reserve, it was established as a national park in 1972 along 120 miles (193 km) of the Luangwa River rift valley, a wide area of alluvial flats containing Karoo sediments and dissected into ridges. It rises gently westward to about 2,500 feet (765 metres) at the foot of the 4,600-foot (1,400-metre) Muchinga escarpment. Vegetation in the park consists of growth characteristic of miombo (woodland), savanna, thickets, and floodplain grassland bordered by riparian forest. The meandering river has changed course many times, leaving dry beds and oxbow pools rich in vegetation nestled between high ranges of mountains. The park's abundant and varied animal life includes vervet monkeys, baboons, leopards, lions, elephants, zebras, black rhinoceroses, hippopotamus, kudu, eland, buffaloes, puku, Cookson's wildebeest, wild dogs, hyenas, cheetahs, giraffes, and sable and roan antelopes. Birdlife is abundant and includes storks, geese, cranes, and carmine bee-eaters. The Luangwa River provides a habitat for the Nile crocodile. The park is accessible by air or road. The main camp is located at Mfuwe, where a number of trails begin.