Super User 16 August 2023

Best Travel Guide To Aberdare National Park Wildlife in Kenya

Situated in the cool highlands along the Great Rift Valley, Aberdare National Park offers one of the most interesting places to visit in Kenya. Not only is it a lush mountainous region of valleys, rivers, waterfalls, and forests, but it is also home to extremely rare animals such as the black serval, the black leopard, and the eastern bongo, and the country’s most elusive antelope.

Aberdare National Park protects the mountain range of the same name and offers a safari experience unlike anywhere else in Kenya. Tree hotels are designed for guests to observe wildlife coming to waterholes (or salt licks) in pristine forest habitats. Wildlife viewing from this elevated position is a remarkably rewarding way to see animals that are otherwise difficult to spot in the dense vegetation. All the Big Five are present. Buffalo and elephants are common, and there are chances to see black rhinos at one of the Tree Hotel waterholes at night. Black-and-white colobus monkeys, bushbucks, and waterbucks are a real treat.

It's also the place where Elizabeth II heard of her father’s death, making her Queen of England; Treetops Hotel, where she was staying at the time, has since become a popular place for travelers to visit.

Location and Size of Aberdare National Park in Kenya:

Aberdare National Park is located in central Kenya's Rift Valley, approximately 95 miles from Nairobi, with the nearest town, Nyeri, situated 9 miles away. Aberdare National Park is approximately 296 square miles in size. The Aberdare National Park is a protected area in the Aberdare Mountain Range in central Kenya located east of the East African Rift Valley. It covers the higher areas and the Aberdare Salient to the east.

History of Aberdare National Park:

Initially established to protect the Aberdare Mountain Range, originally founded by Scottish explorer Joseph Thomson in 1884. The Aberdare National Park was officially established in 1950 and named after Lord Aberdare. Its most famous visitor is Queen Elizabeth II, who found out about her father’s passing while staying in the reserve in 1952.

Wildlife in Aberdare National Park:

Aberdare National Park Animals:

Wildlife animals present in the protected area include lion, 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. Rare sightings include those of the African golden cat and the bongo. Species such as the common eland, serval lives in the higher moorlands. The Aberdare National Park also hosts a large eastern black rhinoceros population.

Aberdare National Park Birding:

Bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the Jackson's Francolin, Sparrow hawks, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds, plovers, and endangered Aberdare Cisticola.

Tourist activities in Aberdare National Park:

Visitors can indulge in many activities such as game drives, birding, picnics, trout fishing in the rivers, and camping in the moorlands. Photographers will love the mountain peaks, rivers, waterfalls, moorland, bamboo, and rainforest – and there’s unusual wildlife too

Aberdare National Park Accommodation:

Visitors to the park can find different types of accommodation, from the Treetops 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 The Ark provide excellent nighttime wildlife viewing.

Aberdare National Park entry:

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.

Arrange with Ultimate Wild Safaris for the Aberdare National Park Safari in Kenya.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mobile: +256 705 087 906 / 760 282 342