Nickname: “The Majestic Moorland”

 

The Aberdare National Park covers the higher areas of the Aberdare Mountain Range of central Kenya and the Aberdare Salient to their east. The Aberdares are an isolated volcanic range that forms the eastern wall of the rift valley, running roughly 100 km north-south of Nairobi and Thomsons Falls. There are two main peaks, Ol Donyo Lesatima (3,999m) and Kinangop (3,906m) separated by a long saddle of alpine moorland at over 3,000m. The topography is diverse with deep ravines that cut through the forested eastern and western slopes and there are many clear streams and waterfalls. The Aberdares are an important water catchment area providing water to the Tana and Athi rivers and part of Central Rift and Northern drainage basins. The unusual vegetation, rugged terrain, streams and waterfalls combine to create an area of great scenic beauty in the National Park. The park is surrounded by a predominantly indigenous forest, whose management is under an MoU between KWS and the Forest Department. Rhino Ark is a charity devoted to the protection of this critical habitat area.

 

Picturesque, steep forested ravines and open moorland characterize the Aberdare National Park. The very beautiful sceneries of Aberdare include magnificent waterfalls with the main ones being Karuru waterfalls which fall in three steps: the first at 117 meters, the second at 26 meters  and the third at 130 meters, making a total of 273 meters, Chania waterfalls and may other smaller ones. Adding to the beauty of Aberdare are many ridges and river valleys which attract mountain scenery photographers. A recent marked attraction in Aberdare is the 400 kms electric fence which was completed in 2009.  The fence protects the whole Aberdare ecosystem from  human pressures and contains wildlife,  preventing human/wildlife conflict. Visitors can also indulge in picnics, trout fishing (in the past the rivers were stocked with brown rainbow trout) in the rivers and camping in the Moorlands. 

 

Visitors to the park can find different types of accommodation according to their taste, ranging from the Treetops tree-house lodge, to the Ark - built in the shape of Noah's Ark - and three self-help banda sites, eight special campsites and a public campsite in the moorland. There are also five picnic sites. Both Treetops and Ark provide excellent nighttime wildlife viewing. From here, visitors can observe various animals, such as elephants, Cape buffaloes and rhinos, which get attracted to the waterholes. The park also includes two airstrips at Mweiga and Nyeri.

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KEY FEATURES

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Location: Nyeri County, Central Province, Kenya.

 

Size:​

 

The Aberdare National Park covers an area of 766 square kilometers and forms part of the Aberdare Mountain Range.

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Distance:​

 

The park is 100 km north of Nairobi, and is readily accessible on tarmac from Nyeri and Naro Moru on the eastern side (160 kms from Nairobi). A road crosses the park to connect with another from Naivasha and North Kinangop on the west. The main towns from which the park can be approached are Nyeri (154 km from Nairobi) Nyahururu (188 km from Nairobi) and Naivasha (87 km from Nairobi). Mweiga Airstrip or Nyeri Airstrip which is 12 km from Mweiga headquarters serves the park.

 

Birds:​

 

Over 250 bird species have been recorded including the endangered Aberdare cisticola, Jackson's francolin, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers. The birds of prey are of particular interest with African Goshawks, Ayres’ Hawk Eagles, Rufous-breasted Sparrow Hawk and Mountain Buzzards.

 

Wildlife:​

 

Animals easily observed include the leopard, elephant, East African wild dog, giant forest hog, bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, waterbuck, Cape buffalo, suni, side-striped jackal, eland, duiker, olive baboon, black and white colobus monkey, and sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of the African golden cat and the bongo - an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. Animals such as the eland as well as spotted and melanistic serval cats can be found higher up in the moorlands.

 

Activities:

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Bird watching. Camping. Game viewing. Hiking. Horse riding. Photography. Picnic. Scenic. Trekking. Trout fishing. Nature Walks.

 

When to go:

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Aberdare experiences a cycle of dry seasons and rainy seasons. The long dry season, from July to October is the best time to visit the park. The park is open daily from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. Entry on foot is prohibited and visitors are turned away after 6:15 pm. Entry to the park is by smart card only, obtained and loaded at the main gate.