Exploring the Aberdares National Park Kenya

The Aberdares National Park rises in a line of jagged teeth 100 kilometres through the centre of Kenya. You can reach this isolated mountain range in an hour from Nairobi, and yet it stretches past the icy peaks of Mount Kenya, almost to the equator. The Aberdares form the eastern rim of the Great Rift Valley, following the rift lakes of Naivasha, Elementaita, and Nakuru. The highest peak in the Aberdares National Park reaches 4000 metres. Within this pristine and protected park, you will find spectacular views, dense rainforest, thundering waterfalls and a huge number of animals.

When I last visited the Aberdares, all of Kenya was held firm in the dusty grip of a seemingly endless drought; yellowed savannah, cracked watering holes and dead animals, but the Aberdares Range was as green and luscious as a spring day in England. As we approach the foothills of the Aberdares National Park Kenya, we find the tea-growing areas are as dazzling as ever, with its lime green foliage telling tales of plentiful rain. In the Aberdares, trout leap in crystal clear streams, the forest canopy waves its sage green flags at the cerulean sky and mist curls through ferns in the early morning. Summer, in the Aberdares, is reminiscent of the best days in England. Of course, in the colder months, the Aberdares temper sunny days with the kind of bleak, depressing drizzle that makes you want to curl up in bed.

Why Visit the Aberdares National Park

The Aberdares range gives life to the term ‘breathtaking’. It is 100km long with few access points. From Nairobi, you are eased into the splendour of the mountains with the Aberdares Forest range. First the obscenely green tea farms, then, in the distance, the peaks of Ol Donyo, Lesatima and Kinangop. As CS Lewis wrote, “The further up and the further in you go, the bigger everything gets. The inside is larger than the outside”, and it’s true of the Aberdares National Park. The further you travel, the higher, colder and most fantastical the ranges appear. Below 3000 metres, The Indigenous rainforest comprises groves of Macaranga and Eucalyptus, which, when you climb higher, become fields of fat bamboo, cedar, camphor, podo, and moorland. On the Eastern side of the lower mountain, the gentle forested slopes have an abundance of wildlife. On these rarely visited hills are elephant, buffalo, hyena, rhino, leopard, forest hogs, and the rare African golden cat. This is the last home of the critically endangered mountain bongo, of which there is estimated to be less than 100 in the world.

Hiking the Aberdares National Park

The Aberdares National Park lies mainly above the treeline at 3000 metres (with the Forest Reserve occupying the lower slopes.) The high park offers excellent walking and hiking routes where the forested slopes give way to moorland. Alpine grass and the occasional phallic outline of the giant lobelia mark the lofty peaks: Lesatima (4000 m) Kinangop (3906 m) and Kipipiri (3349 m). There is little in the way of a road network in the Aberdares. In fact, travelling from North to South is pretty much impossible.

There are three main waterfalls in the Aberdares National Park. The Karura Falls plummets 300 metres to the river below. You can walk along the Kinangop plateau and over the top of Karura Falls, on the path that runs between the two main gates. The Gura Falls–305 metres high, for which there is no official track, and the Chania Falls which are smaller but easier to reach. There is abundant wildlife in the Aberdares including lion, therefore it is advisable to have a guide. 

The Hikemaniak website has information on hiking in Kenya and details some interesting Aberdares hikes. 

Outdoor.ke has blogs on hiking the Aberdares. 

Fishing in the Aberdares National Park Kenya

The Aberdares is awash with streams and rivers filled with rainbow trout, that were brought here 100 years ago by British colonists who transported trout ova from Scotland. 

Both the Aberdares and Mount Kenya are regularly restocked with fingerlings and you can see the fish swimming in the rivers when you pass by. The best fishing is higher up the mountain where the fish are much smaller. Kenya Fly Fishers have two clubhouses on the Eastern slopes of the Aberdares National Park with immediate access to rivers. You can book the KWS Fishing Cottages which has access to fishing rivers, or you can find a fishing tour. Fishing tours will take you to the higher peaks to fish in the Guru, Karura and Chania rivers. Only fly-fishing is permitted in the Aberdares. 

Where to stay in the Aberdares 

Treetops Hotel

Treetops is perhaps Kenya’s most famous hotel. In 1952, Princess Elizabeth was visiting Treetops Aberdares when she found out her father George VI had died. It was here that she became Queen Elizabeth II. The original hotel was burned by Mau Mau freedom fighters. Another hotel has since been erected, the pride of which is its watering hole. The hotel is 80 years old and rustic rather than refined. It is on an elephant migration route, and the watering hole and salt lick are floodlit at night. The hotel used to run a no see, no pay policy which has stopped, but they make the most of their frequent animal visitors with large windows fitted in all rooms. An optional buzzer in the rooms alerts the guests when a spectacle is unfolding at the waterhole. 

Find out more about Treetops Hotel Aberdares

The Ark Hotel 

The Ark Hotel is named for its design, which is supposed to resemble Noah’s Ark. A ship among the wildlife. It operates on the same policy as Treetops in which the entire purpose of your visit it to view game. On a watering hole and salt lick with copious windows and the requisite buzzer to alert you to game even when asleep (optional, thank goodness). The Ark has three decks with tons of balconies, and four separate viewing areas for spotting your wild friends. 

Find out more about The Ark Hotel Aberdares

Kimakia Tea Cottages

I nearly wrote an entire blog just about Kimakia Tea Cottages, as I loved it so very much. Find the cottages in the Aberdares Forest, less than two hours from Nairobi. This is an altogether gentler (and cheaper) experience than venturing into the park proper. Kimakia Tea Cottages sit within tea plantations on the lower south/east slopes of the Aberdares. The cottages are perched above a river perfect for trout fishing, and for kids to splash, build dams, catch crabs. Kimakia is 100 metres away from the fence line that starts the official forest park. You can walk into the forest from the house, or pay a wonderful guide (I recommend Michael) who will take you on an energetic hike through thick forest, waterfalls, and tea fields. There are two cottages, one with three double rooms, and one with a double bed. Newly built, spotlessly clean, comfortable with incredible views. I can’t recommend enough. Kimakia Tea Cottages are now one of my top places to stay in Kenya. 

Learn more about Kimakia Tea Cottages

KWS Cabins and camping 

KWS has a number of cabins and campsites that you can use by booking on their website. The cabins are basic but far preferable than camping, anytime outside of the hot months, as the Aberdares can become freezing.  

KWS Website 

Weather in the Aberdares 

The altitude in the Aberdares varies widely from 1,952 to 3,894 meters and he temperatures drop by about 6.5⁰C for every 1,000 meters. Sitting near the equator the temperature remains the same for most of the year. It is often The climate cool and misty with frequent heavy rains. As with the rest of Kenya The Aberdares National Park has distinct wet and dry seasons.

Dry season : June to September & December to April

Wet Season: October to December and April to June

How to get to the Aberdares National Park

By Road: The Park is readily accessible on tarmac from Nyeri on the Eastern side and from Naivasha on the western side. 

There is little in the way of a road network in the Aberdares. The two main gates to the park are Mutbio on the west and Ruhuruini on the east, and you can drive from one to another in good weather. There are two more eastern gates near Nyeri; Wandere and Kiandongoro, and two in the north; Shamata and Rhino Gate. These are the only access points to the major park. Travel within the park on roads is very limited. You need a good 4WD and if it has been wet; the roads are unpassable even for the most talented drivers.

By Air: The nearest airstrip is the Mweiga Airstrip on the opposite side from Park Hqs along Nyeri–Nyahururu road near Sasini Estate Farm.

The Aberdares Forest can be easily accessed from Nairobi in around two hours. 

Entrance Fees for Aberdares National Park 

Tourist: 52 USD / Child 26 USD

Resident/Citizen: 300 KSH / Child 215 KSH 

Further Reading

Castle Forest Lodge – a Mount Kenya retreat

21 Incredible Family Friendly Resorts in Kenya 

Trout Tree Nanyuki – Mount Kenya’s Fresh Fish Restaurant

Fly Fishing in Mount Kenya National Park

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