Aberdare National Park, Kenya

Altitude: 7,000 to 14,000 feet above sea level.

Area: 767 square kilometers.

Airstrips: Mweiga and Nyeri.

Opened: May 1950.

Activities: Night game viewing from Ark or Treetops, Game Drives, Trout fishing, visit to the Kimathi hideout used by the legendary Mau Mau General.

Map

The Aberdare National Park is part of the Aberdare mountain range and got it’s name from Lord Aberdare, one of the founder members of the Royal Geographical Society. It is a fascinating region of Kenya and according to Kikuyu folklore they are one of the homes of Ngai (God).

The scenery is very dramatic, mountain ranges soar to around 14,000 ft., giving way to deep V-shaped valleys with streams and rivers cascading over spectacular waterfalls. The forest is the water source for the entire local area and Nairobi.

At 10,000 ft. is a belt of Bamboo forest which is the favorite haunt of the rare and elusive Bongo, above this the Bamboo forest gives way to moorlands, reminiscent of European highlands, where the largest of the Antelope, the Eland, roam.

Animals are abound in the forest, and game viewing is very rewarding: elephant, buffalo, black rhino, giant forest hog, lion, leopard, baboon, black & white colobus and sykes monkeys are abundant. Bird viewing is incredible with over 250 species of birds recorded.

There are a variety of accommodations. Treetops tree-house lodge and the Ark, a lodge built in the shape of Noah’s Ark. Night game viewing is the purpose of these lodges in the Salient area of the park, with excellent sightings of elephant, buffalo, lion and rhino, drawn to the waterholes and saltlicks each evening.