Aberdare national park is situated along the Aberdare mountain ranges of central Kenya, and spreads all the way from Nyeri to the Thomson Fall, forming the outer wall of the great rift valley. The park is located about 100km from Nairobi city and has several entry points.
Compared to other parks in Kenya, the park terrain is quite different it has landscapes from the high peaks of Ol Donyo Lesatima and Kinangop that rise to 14,000 feet (4,300 m) above sea level. with rich moorland in the V-shaped valleys which have several rivers and streams that meander through the valley and there are also so breathtaking waterfalls along the rivers. The park is run by Rhino Ark a non-profit that aims to protect the park and its wildlife, but the park is still owned by Kenya Wildlife Services. The most talked about part of the park is The Treetop Lodge where Queen Elizabeth II learned of her appointment to be the queen of England.
Things to do
Due to its red volcanic soil, the moorlands are overgrown with vegetation coupled with its rugged landscape Aberdare park has proven to be the place where you can go one of the best trekking or safari walk. This is where the best safari drive happens. With an abundant variety of birds, bird watching and mountain climbing are nice adventures during the day. The stream is rich in fish especially trout, and sports fishing is allowed in the park.
What to expect
Aberdare national park is where you will find a large population of the endangered black rhino, plus a host of other game animals like, the lion, leopard, African elephant, African hunting dog, giant forest hog, bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, waterbuck, cape buffalo, sun, side-striped jackal, eland, duikers olive baboon, black and white Colombus monkey, and Sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of the golden cat; and higher up in the moorlands you might encounter the eland and other cats. The bamboo forest plays host to the rare Bongo antelope.
Getting there
The park is serviced by two airstrips one in Mweiga and the other one in Nyeri, for people in chartered flights. By road, you can get to the park from different entry points, either from Nyeri Nyahururu or fro Naivasha. The only thing with driving is that it’ss not advisable during the rainy season because the roads are almost impassable.
