Table Mountain rises as a flat sandstone plateau, about 1,085 m at its highest point, cut off sharply by near-vertical cliffs on every side. Toggle the "tablecloth" cloud to see the orographic cloud that spills over the flat top, and the Maclear's Beacon & cableway marker for the highest point and the aerial cableway route.
Published figures: highest point 1,085 m at Maclear's Beacon; flat plateau about 3 km long; sandstone cliff faces on every side; Table Mountain Aerial Cableway opened in 1929.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Table Mountain 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Table Mountain as a flat-topped sandstone plateau rising directly above Cape Town, South Africa. Instead of tapering to a point like most mountains, the summit levels off into a long table about 3 km (1.9 mi) end to end, bounded by near-vertical cliffs that drop away on every side. Its highest point, Maclear's Beacon, sits at 1,085 m (3,563 ft).
The flat top and steep collar form because the mountain is built from Table Mountain Sandstone, a hard, resistant rock layer deposited roughly 450-500 million years ago and later uplifted and eroded from the surrounding softer rock, leaving the harder cap standing as a table. When the southeaster wind blows moist air up from the Atlantic, it condenses into an orographic cloud on the flat summit and spills down over the northern cliff edge - locals call this the "tablecloth". Toggle the tablecloth cloud to show or hide that spill, and the beacon/cableway marker to see the highest point plus the route of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway up the city-facing face.
- Toggle the tablecloth cloud to see the orographic cloud spill over the cliff edge
- Toggle the beacon & cableway marker to see Maclear's Beacon and the aerial cableway route
- Read plateau, cableway, and conservation figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Maclear's Beacon, 1,085 m (3,563 ft) |
| Plateau length | about 3 km (1.9 mi), running roughly north-south above Cape Town |
| Rock | Table Mountain Sandstone, deposited about 450-500 million years ago |
| Cableway | opened October 4, 1929; rotating cable car introduced 1997; about 5 minutes from Tafelberg Road to the upper station |
| "Tablecloth" cloud | an orographic cloud that caps the flat top and spills over the edge when the southeaster wind blows moist air upslope |
| Protected area | Table Mountain National Park, part of the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 |
| Plant species | more than 2,200 recorded on the mountain alone - widely cited as more than the entire British Isles |
| New7Wonders | declared an official winner of the New7Wonders of Nature in 2011 |
For another single free-standing feature, open the Uluru 3D Explorer, or compare a different sheer-cliff canyon shape at the Grand Canyon 3D Explorer.
The Table Mountain plateau is drawn on your own device by the vendored three.js engine, which downloads once (about 0.7 MB) and stays cached, so returning to orbit the mountain again loads instantly. Your tablecloth-cloud and beacon-marker choices are saved between visits, so the explorer reopens the way you last left it.
This is an educational approximation - the cliff profile, cloud shape, and marker positions are schematic teaching cues, not survey terrain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Table Mountain?
Its highest point, Maclear's Beacon, sits at 1,085 m (3,563 ft) above sea level, overlooking Cape Town, South Africa.
Why is the top of Table Mountain flat?
The summit is capped by Table Mountain Sandstone, a hard rock layer deposited roughly 450-500 million years ago. Erosion wore away the softer surrounding rock while the resistant sandstone cap stayed largely intact, leaving a long, level table bounded by steep cliffs.
What is the "tablecloth" cloud?
When the southeaster wind blows moist air up from the Atlantic, it condenses into an orographic cloud on the flat summit. The cloud caps the top and spills down over the northern cliff edge, resembling a tablecloth draped over the mountain - hence the name.
How do you get to the top of Table Mountain?
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, which opened October 4, 1929 and introduced a rotating cable car in 1997, carries visitors from Tafelberg Road to the upper station in about 5 minutes. Hiking trails also reach the summit for those who prefer to walk up.
How long is the plateau at the top?
The flat summit runs roughly north-south for about 3 km (1.9 mi), making it more of an elongated table than a single peak.
Why does Table Mountain matter for plant life?
The mountain sits within the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, and hosts more than 2,200 plant species on its own - by widely cited comparison, more species than the entire British Isles.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the cliff profile, cloud shape, and marker positions are schematic teaching cues, not survey terrain.