Kenya National Parks and Conservation Areas
Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park is a relatively small preserve (about 65 square miles) that has been designated as a sanctuary for black rhino. The park has more than 25 rhinos. The park, which was created in 1961, is also considered to be one of the finest places for bird-watching, and it is most famous for the thousands of flamingos that form a brilliant pink spectacle as they line the banks of the shallow lake. Cormorants, pelicans and hornbills can also be viewed here. There are more than 400 species of wildlife in and around the park including giraffes, leopards, lions, pythons and waterbucks.
Hell's Gate National Park
Hell's Gate National Park is a small park located in North West of Nairobi and Southwest of Lake Naivasha. The park is situated between Lake Naivasha, Longonot and Suswa volcanoes and on the floor of the Great Rift Valley. It was established in 1948 and is named after a narrow break in the cliffs, once a tributary of a prehistoric lake that fed early humans in the Rift Valley. The park covers an area of 68.25 square km and is characterized by diverse topography and geological scenery. The vegetation in the park is characterized by grassland with shrubs, bushes and acacia. The landscape is characterized by stunning volcanic scenery such as towering cliffs, gorges, rock towers, belching plumes of geothermal steam and extinct volcanoes such as Olkalia and Hobley's - Making it one of the Best National Parks in Kenya. The park is at 1,900 metres (6,200 ft) above sea level. Incidentally, this park is one of the few where you are allowed to walk or ride in the park.
Hell’s Gate National Park is known for its wide variety of wildlife and for its spectacular scenery. This includes he Fischer's Tower and Central Tower columns and Hell's Gate Gorge. The Park is also home to three geothermal power stations at Olkaria. The park is popular due to its close proximity to Nairobi and lowered park fees compared to other National Parks. There are a number of activities that can be enjoyed within the park. Among these are; game drives, walking safaris, biking/cycling, rock climbing, hiking and cultural interaction with the Maasai people who lives nearby the park.
Hell’s Gate can be accessed through three main gates: the main Elsa Gate, Narasha Gate and Olkaria Gate. The latter also serves the Olkaria Geothermal Station that is located inside the National Park.
Amboseli National Reserve
Kenya's Amboseli National Reserve is one of the more popular wildlife parks in Kenya -- only Masai Mara National Reserve and Nakuru National Park receive more visitors each year. The 1,260-square-mile reserve is famous for its big game, including lions, cheetahs, baboons and large elephant herds that traverse the savannahs in search of watering holes or feeding grounds. On a game drive here you can also see the magnificent snowcapped peak of Tanzania's majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Soaring to 19,340 feet, it is the highest mountain in Africa. Habitats in the reserve vary from swamps to withered lakes to semi-arid, vegetated areas.
Masai Mara National Reserve
World-famous Masai Mara National Reserve is the highlight of most Kenya safaris. Widely regarded as the best game-viewing park in the country, it features varied terrain that ranges from rolling savannahs to riverine forests.
Zebras, gazelles and impalas roam expansive, golden grasslands punctuated by distinctive flat-topped acacia trees.
The "Big Five" (lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants and rhinos) can also be spotted here. Hippos loll about in the Mara River, while countless bird species flock overhead. More than 1 million wildebeests and zebras migrate annually to Masai Mara from the parched Serengeti plains of neighboring Tanzania. Some Kenya safaris also visit Masai villages, where guests can interact with local cattle-herders.
Samburu Game Reserve
In Kenya's semi-arid, rugged central region about 215 miles north of Nairobi lies the Samburu Game Reserve, a small oasis that is home to many rare animals, including Grevy zebras, long-necked gerenuk antelopes, Somali ostriches, Beisa oryxes and reticulated giraffes. You might also spot lounging crocodiles or elephants bathing in the Uaso Nyiro River, which runs through the reserve. Established in the 1970s, the reserve is also home to such wildlife as lions, cheetahs, African buffaloes, impalas, waterbucks and more than 350 species of birds. The landscape encompasses lush forests, grassy vegetation, rock outcroppings and dried riverbeds.
