Aberdare National Park is a unique and breathtakingly beautiful destination. It is situated in the Aberdare Mountain Range, with elevations ranging from 2,100 to 4,300 meters above sea level. Located in the central highlands of Kenya, Aberdare National Park is a breathtaking destination that showcases the country’s rich natural heritage.
Aberdare National Park was established in 1950 as a result of efforts by conservationists and colonial administrators to protect the area’s unique biodiversity and natural beauty. It was named after Lord Aberdare, a British colonial administrator who played a great role in the park’s creation.
The park is found in the counties of Nyeri and Nyandarua, spanning over an area of 767 square kilometers. It is home to a diverse range of flora, including bamboo forests, moorlands, and alpine vegetation. It is also home to a wide variety of wildlife, such as Mammals like elephants, buffalo, black rhinos, leopards, and bushbucks and over 250 bird species, including the Jackson’s francolin, the Aberdare cisticola, and the African crowned eagle.
What to see?
Aberdare National Park is a treasure trove of natural wonders, with a diverse range of attractions that cater to different interests and ages. Here are some of the top attractions to explore in the park.
The Aberdare Mountain Range
The park’s rugged landscape is dominated by the Aberdare Mountain Range, which offers breathtaking views, hiking trails, and opportunities for rock climbing. These ranges run 160km to the eastern border of the Great East African Rift valley making Kenya one of the awarding hiking destinations with its ranges standing at an elevation of 4000m above sea level, highest being mount Santima followed by mount kinangop at 3906m, chebuswa ranges at 3364m, Table mount 3791 among others.
The Aberdare ranges also hold a significant importance to the communities around the ranges especially the kikuyu people who believe that their gods (Ngai) live there.
Wildlife
Aberdare National Park is renowned for its incredible biodiversity, with a wide range of wildlife that inhabits the park’s unique habitats. The park is home to large mammals such as Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, Leopards, both the white and black rhinos. It holds a great number of antelope species like the Bushbuck which are often sighted, Duikers, Reedbuck among others. These can be seen the Park savannah grasslands, forests and in the mountain ranges during game drives
Birdlife
With over 290 bird species, Aberdare National Park is a true birders destination. The park hosts a number of bird species, including five of the eight world’s recorded endemic birds, and 53 of the Afrotropical highlands bird species. Some of areas include Mukurweini valley where you can spot the hinders babblers, the kikuyu Escarpment Forest which boasts a lot of bird species such as a Barred long tailed, cuckoo, orange ground thrush among others and the grasslands which are best places to spot the sharper’s long claw, one of Kenya’s national endemics. Other bird species spotted in the park include; Augur Buzzard, African Goshawk, Hawk Eagle and the magnificent African Crowned Eagle, which preys on monkey, francolin and guinea fowl.
Within forest glades are the cinnamon-chested Bee-eater and African Paradise Flycatcher, while the bamboo glades or higher moorlands are the domain of numerous species
Vegetation
The park is dominated by unique vegetation including the steep forested ravines and open moorland making up the Aberdare vegetation, in the park there is a total of 778 vegetation and plant species, sub species and varieties found in the ark due to the park’s altitude and rainfall. Some of the trees found in the park include the hardwood trees including camphor, cedar, podo and hagenia.
In Aberdare national park there is also the Afro-alpine moorlands on the Aberdare Mountain range and is divided into a rich alpine and sub alpine flora which includes species of Senecio, Lobelia, Erica, Helichrysum and tussock grasses which give away to around 3,000 meters to the bamboo Arundinaria alpine and the montane rainforests. The montane rainforests consist of Juniperus procerus–podocarpus falcatus-Nuxia congesta forest on the western and northwestern slopes, Ocotea forest on the south – east and moxed podocarpus latifolius forest on the east and on Kipiriri. There are also pockets of the Hagenia forest occurring in the sheltered patches on the rolling moorland.
Waterfalls
Aberdare National Park is a renowned destination for magnificent waterfalls plunging from cloud-shrouded heights and spraying into the ravines, among these beautiful waterfalls is the Karuru waterfalls which is considered as the main waterfall. Karuru waterfalls features three steps that is, at 117 meters, at 26 meters and at 130 meters. Among other impressive waterfalls in the park include Gura falls at the opposite side of Karuru falls, Magura falls cascading across the yawning mouth of the Queen’s Cave. The magnificent waters in Aberdare national park are reached via the Mutubio West Gate which is approximately 8 kilometers from the Waterfall lookout where breathtaking views of the falls are got. To get to the falls is an easy hike of about 20 minutes’ hike through the forests.
What is the best time to visit the park?
The best time to visit Aberdare National Park in Kenya is during the drier months of January and February, and between June and September:
Visitors coming for Wildlife viewing, the dry months are ideal for wildlife viewing because animals tend to gather around water sources, making them easier to spot. The reduced vegetation also provides better visibility, for birding, the wet seasons are good because it’s this breeding time for birds, and most of the migratory birds can be seen. Hiking, the drier months are also good for hiking.
