Mount Kenya N.P
Overview
Mount Kenya National Park and Forest Reserve, is an imposing extinct volcano dominating the landscape of the Kenyan Highlands, East of the Rift Valley. Mt. Kenya lies about 140 km North, North-East of Nairobi with its Northern flanks across the Equator. The mountain has two main peaks - Batian (5200m) and Nelion (5188m). The mountains slopes are cloaked in forest, bamboo, scrub and moorland giving way on the high central peaks to rock, ice and snow. Mt. Kenya is an important water catchment area, supplying the Tana and Northern Ewaso Ngiro systems.
The park includes a variety of habitats ranging from higher forest, bamboo, alpine moorlands, glaciers, tarns and glacial morains.
The park, which was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 and is also a Biosphere Reserve, covers 715 km2, and includes the Peaks consisting of all the ground above 3200m with two small salients extending lower down to 2450m along the Sirimon and Naro Moru tracks. Surrounding the park is Mount Kenya National Reserve with an area of approximately 2095 km2.
Attractions
The snowcapped mountain that the Agikuyu, Aembu and Ameru communities believed to be the home of their traditional God-Ngai is definitely a puller. It is a place to be treated with respect and reverence by visitors who come here among other things seeking divine and spiritual nourishment. Pristine wilderness, lakes, tarns, glaciers and peaks of great beauty, geological variety, the forest, mineral springs, rare and endangered wildlife species, high altitude adapted game, unique montane and alpine vegetation with 11 species of endemic plants are a sight. Wildlife includes Elephants, tree hyrax, white tailed mongoose, suni, black fronted duiker, mole rat, bushbucks, water buck and Elands. Animals rarely seen include leopard, bongo, giant forest hog. Over 130 bird species have been recorded.
How to get there
By Road: The peaks can be accessed through three official routes namely Naro Moru, Sirimon and Chogoria.
Sirimon Gate is 200 km from Nairobi off the Nanyuki - Meru Road.
Naro Moru Gate is 188 km along Nyeri-Nanyuki road near Naro Moru town.
Chogoria Gate is on the Embu-Meru Road, about 210km north of Nairobi.
By Air: The closest commercial airstrip to the park is at Nanyuki.
Popular Safaris in kenya
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.