It is situated 30 km west of Harare, in the middle of the Mashonaland plateau, nearly half of this park comprises Lake Chivero 26.3 km² when full; formerly Lake McIlwaine, a water reservoir for the capital which was created by damming the Manyame River. The lake is 9.5 m deep on average and has a triangular shape, with the river entering at the south-east end and leaving at the north-west. The park has a very attractive appearance, being a mixture of lake, natural woodland, grassland, and some granite kopje outcrops.

These culminate in Bushman's Point at the eastern end. There are many islands in the lake. Several of the kopjes have San Bushman paintings on their sheltered surfaces. The topography, however, is basically flat or slightly undulating, except at the north-western side where the Hunyani Hills rise. The vegetation is almost entirely miombo woodland. The original woodland, particularly on the north bank, was cleared for tobacco farming in the past, but has been regenerating for the past 50 years.

Interspersed among the woodlands are many large wooded anthills and areas of grassland. The lake-margins have many patches of reed Phragmites. The waters of the lake have been invaded by several weeds, including the non-native Eichhornia, and also Pistia, Myriophyllum, Lagarosiphon, Azolla and blue-green algae. At times the water seems to be a 'soup'. The park is given over mainly to water-sports and activities, in particular motorboats, yachts, skiing, canoeing and fishing. Many sites on the banks are clubs that service these activities. There is a research centre and bird sanctuary on the north bank, and a game park with many introduced game species on the opposite south bank.

Both north and south banks have tourist chalets and lodges. Many day-trippers are subsistence fishers, who buy a cheap daily permit. There are 26 species of fish in the lake, including five exotics. Much of the water is drawn off from the lake for the city, and there are tributaries (Marimba, Mukuvisi and Nyatsime) flowing into the Manyame River or the dam itself which have major sewage works onthem. Also, the Mukuvisi flows right through the industrial sites of Harare.

The lake and hinterland are protected as part of Lake Chivero Recreational Park. The lake was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on 3 January 2013. There is a great variety of birdlife and for the birdwatcher, the park is a paradise, included amongst the several bird species are: South African ostrich, African openbills, barbets, bee-eaters, buzzards, coots, cormorants, doves, hamerkops, jacanas, kingfishers, grey herons, darters, Goliath herons, fish eagles, glossy starlings and lilac-breasted rollers.

The park is on the tourist route for the miombo (Zambezian-biome) specials. Apart from the 11 species in the park that are globally restricted to this biome, another 12 species occur that are restricted to miombo in Zimbabwe at least.

Lake Chivero hosts many waterbirds, and 100 species are on the checklist. At times, thousands occur. In the austral winter, many ducks loaf on the dam during their flightless moult. Immediately downstream of Lake Chivero is the larger but shallower Lake Manyame formerly Robertson in another recreational park; Manyame usually supports more waterbirds than does Chivero. More bird species have been recorded in the park than at any other locality in the country.