Aberdare National Park

Elephants at Aberdare

Aberdare National Park is a 767-km² national park in the central highlands west of Mount Kenya, 180 km from Nairobi

Understand

The park is open daily from 6AM-7PM. No entry is allowed on foot and no visitor will be allowed into the park after 6:15PM.

Flora and fauna

Include blue and Columbus monkey, Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Warthog, Black Rhino, Giant Forest Hog, bushbuck, Buffalo, Red Duiker, Suni, Serval, Reedbuck, Eland, and the rare bongo antelope. The prolific bird life features 250 recorded species.

Climate

Cool climate with rains in March–June and September to December. Vegetation is Rich Alpine and Sub alpine flora giving way to Bamboo and Mountain

Get in

By car

Take the A2 out of Nairobi via Thika in Nyeri. Then Take Nyeri-Nyahururu road out of Nyeri. Ruhuruini, Arkand treetops gates are signs posted off this road. You can also take Uber taxis that are convenient and all around the city.

By plane

The nearest air strip is at Mweiga.

Get around

The Park often becomes impassible for 2WD vehicles and thus 4WD vehicles are recommended.

Fees and permits

Residents of Kenya: adults Ksh 200, Kenyan student and organized groups Ksh 50, Kenyan children Ksh 50. Non-residents: US$40, children US$20, students and organized groups US$10. Entry to the park is by smart card only. Smartcard may be obtained and loaded at the main gate.

See

Karuru, Gura, Chania and Magura are spectacular waterfalls. The Aberdare Mountains are breathtaking. Wildlife include four of the Big 5 (Elephants and Buffalo are numerous, Black Rhino and Leopard are less common), Genets, Defassa Waterbuck, Common Duiker, Warthog, Spotted Hyena, Bushbuck as well as species that are not found elsewhere in Kenya (though even here they are difficult to spot), i.e., Eastern Bongo, Golden Cat and Giant Forest Hog. Lions are no longer present in the park as their reintroduction severely hurt Bongo populations.

Do

Hiking fishing, mountain climbing, walking, game drives.

• Fishing The streams are well stocked with brown and rainbow trout.

Eat

Food should be brought by oneself, unless you are staying at one of the lodges where meals are provided.

Drink

Drinks should be brought when visiting the park, unless you are staying at one of the lodges where drinks are provided.

Sleep

Lodges

There are two main hotels in the park. 'The Ark' is a lodge reminiscent of colonial times, where visitors spend the night with views of a salt lick where wildlife congregates. The lodge has three main viewing platforms. Each room has been fitted with electricity and running water. If an animal of interest appear during the night, you will be alerted by a buzzer. The second hotel is the famous Treetops, which is situated at the border of the park (Nyeri town can be seen). Like the Ark it has a view of a saltlick, however all rooms (excluding the suites) are not fitted with running water and thus facilities such as showers and toilets are communal.

Connect

The warden: P.O. Box 22 Nyeri. Tel: +254(0)6155024121