ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK

“Majestic Peaks, Moorlands and Intriguing Falls”

Picturesque, steep forested ravines and open moorland characterise the Aberdare National Park. The park provides a habitat for elephants, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, buffalos, warthogs and bushbucks among others. Rare sightings include those of the Giant Forest hog, bongo, golden cat, serval cat, African wild cat, African civet cat and the blue duiker. Visitors can indulge in picnics, trout fishing in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the Jackson’s Francolin, Sparrow hawks, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers.

How to get there

• By Road: The Park is readily accessible on tarmac from Nyeri and Naro Moru on the Eastern side and it’s 150 Kms from Nairobi. A road crosses the park through the lower slopes up to the Moorlands to connect with another  one from Naivasha on the western side. Naivasha is 87 Kms from Nairobi .The park HQS is 15 Kms from Nyeri town, along the Nyeri – Nyahururu road.
• By Air: The nearest airstrip is the Mweiga Airstrip on the opposite side from Park Hqs along Nyeri – Nyahururu road near Sasini Estate Farm.

Attractions

• Game animals easily seen in the park during game viewing include; African Elephant, black rhino, leopard, spotted hyena, olive baboon, black and white colobus monkey, sykes monkey, cape buffalo, warthog, common zebra (North Aberdare), bushbuck, reedbuck.  Rare sightings include those of Giant Forest hog, bongo, golden cat, serval cat, African wild cat, African civet cat, blue duiker.
• Very beautiful sceneries of Aberdare include magnificent waterfalls with the main ones being Karuru waterfalls which fall in three steps, 1st step 117M, 2nd step 26M and 3rd 130M, making a total of 273M, 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 400Kms electric fence which was completed – final post on 28th August, 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.  Bird viewing is rewarding with about 290 recorded bird species, including the Aberdare Cisticola that is critically endangered and the Jackson’s francolin, which is regionally endemic, sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers