Aberdare National Park

The park is located about 100 km north from Nairobi and it covers altitudes from about 7,000 feet (2,100 m) to 14,000 feet (4,300 m) above sea level. The park was protected and gazetted in 1950 and it covers an area of 766km² and forms part of the Aberdare Mountain Range. The landscapes ranging from the mountain peaks that rise to (4,300 m) above sea level, to their deep and v-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers plus the waterfall.  Moorland, bamboo forest and the rain forests are the major vegetation types found within the park.

The Park can be accessed via a tarmac road from Nyeri and Naro Moru on the Eastern side and its 150 Km from Nairobi. The park HQS is 15 Km from Nyeri town, along the Nyeri- Nyahururu road. The park can also be accessed by air through nearest airstrip of Mweiga Airstrip on the opposite side from Park headquarters along Nyeri- Nyahururu road.

The park is a haven for a diversity of bird species with a rewarding sight of over 250 species of birds in the park, including the endangered Aberdare cist cola, Jackson’s francolin, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sun birds and plovers. Bird lovers visit this park with their cameras and binoculars for a better experience within this amazing park.

The Kikuyu cultural tours who are the local settlers within the area of the park have their traditional beliefs on Aberdare Mountain ranges regarding it as the home to their ancestors known as” Ngai” or God as its interpreted, visitors interact with these settlers who tale interesting stories about their cultural history and their way of worshiping including how they spare their day to day lives among their local communities.

Wild animals such as leopards, elephants, east African wild dog, giant forest hog, bush bucks, mountain reed buck, water buck, cape buffaloes, suni, side stripped jackals, eland, duikers, olive baboons, black and white Colobus monkeys and Skype monkeys. Other rare sightings though by chance can be seen includes the African golden cat and the bongo a forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. The Aberdare National Park also contains a large Eastern Black Rhinoceros Population. All this facilitates game drives and game viewing.

Fishing is another interesting activity done by visitors after their days of game drives and bird life viewing, this is done along the rivers within the park, a visit to the 400km electric fence that was constructed on the park boundaries to protect both the animals and the people around from being attacked by some dangerous predators is a unique adventure for its self.