Mount Kenya is home to 11 species of endemic plants.
The park was established to protect Mount Kenya and its surrounding environment, including the wildlife.
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
The park covers an area of 715 square kilometers, while Mount Kenya rises to an elevation of 5,199 meters above sea level.
There are 12 beautiful glaciers on the mountain with four secondary peaks.
There are also about 20 glacial tarns at higher elevations.
The highest peak of Mount Kenya is Batian, at 5,199 meters, followed by Nelion at 5,188 meters above sea level.
The mountain is characterized by a bamboo zone, moorlands, grassy glades, tussock grasslands, pristine lakes, tarns, sedges, Podocarpus, Melinjanus, an alpine zone, and Juniperus.
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Entry Fees The entry fee to Mount Kenya National Park is $43 for foreign non-resident adults and $26 for foreign non-resident children. Foreign resident adults will pay KSh 1,030, and their children will pay KSh 515. East African citizen adults will pay KSh 300, and their children will pay KSh 215. All resident citizens must show documentation to enjoy resident rates.
Please note that the park entry fee is different from fees paid for activities in the park, such as fishing, walking safaris, nature-guided walks, hiking, and mountain climbing.
History Mount Kenya National Park was first gazetted as a forest reserve and later upgraded to a national park in 1949. The park area was extended in 2013. UNESCO also designated Mount Kenya as a biosphere reserve in 1978. The forest reserve encircling the reserve, together with the park, is a world heritage site designated in 1997.
Mount Kenya is believed to have been 6,500 meters during its earlier activity of 3.1 to 2.6 million years ago. The communities of Kikuyu and Meru people living around regard Mount Kenya as a holy mountain and often use it for their religious traditional rituals.
A huge male lion, weighing 272 kilograms, was shot in Mount Kenya National Park in 1993, one of the heaviest lions recorded.
Location Mount Kenya National Park is located in central Kenya, north of the equator. It can be reached with two routes from Nairobi: either by the Embu-Meru road, which is 150 km north of Nairobi, or the Nanyuki-Isiolo road, 175 km from Nairobi. Tourists can also fly to the Nanyuki airstrip from Nairobi or Moi Airport and then drive to the park.
There are six entry gates used for accessing the park: Chogoria Gate, Sirimon Gate, Kamweti Gate, Naru Moru Gate, Mawingu Gate, and Kihari Gate.
Best Time to Visit Mount Kenya National Park’s climate varies with altitude and rainfall. The best time to visit is during the dry seasons of January and February and from July to August. The drier months are best because the trekking trails are not muddy and slippery. You also get breathtaking views during this time as the sky is clear, revealing the lush green plains below and beyond. Vegetation is also not thick, making it easy to spot wildlife.
Sometimes weather may change as you go higher; therefore, it’s necessary for tourists to pack the following: a raincoat, waterproof hiking boots, long-sleeved clothes, insect repellent, sunglasses, sun hats, energy snacks, plenty of drinking water, sunscreen, binoculars, and cameras.
Accommodation There are few hotels and several campsites where tourists can stay while at Mount Kenya. Some of these are Solo Campsite, Major Campsite, Shipton Campsite, Kindondoni Campsite, Mintos Hut and Campsite, Sirimon Cottage, Batian Guest House, Narumoru Gate Campsite, Met Station Campsite, Mackinders Campsite, Austrian Hut Campsite, Judmaier Campsite, Liki North Hut & Campsite, Mount Kenya Safari Club, Hotel Fairmont, Whispers Luxury Guest Rooms, Castle Forest Lodge, Serena Mountain Lodge, Starbucks Katarina, Bantu Mountain Lodge, Le Rustique, Penguin House, Soames Hotel and Jack’s Bar, among others.
Animals Though Mount Kenya isn’t the best park for wildlife viewing in Kenya, tourists have a chance of seeing animals like white-tailed mongoose, elephants, tree hyrax, elands, bushbucks, waterbuck, black-fronted duiker, Suni, giant forest hog, leopards, bongo, black and white colobus, Cape buffalos, Mount Kenya mouse shrew, common duiker, Sykes’ monkey, endemic mole rat, Grevy’s zebra, and many others.
There is also a 9.8-kilometer elephant corridor from Mount Kenya National Park to Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
What to Do
Birding Mount Kenya National Park is home to 130 species of birds. Examples include the Ayres’ hawk-eagle, scaly francolin, Abyssinian long-eared owl, Rüppell’s robin-chat, bronze-naped pigeon, red-headed parrot, slender-billed starling, scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird, Meyer’s parrot, African green pigeon, spot-flanked barbet, Abyssinian ground thrush, oriole finch, black-headed waxbill, montane white-eye, eastern double-collared sunbird, moorland francolin, Hunter’s cisticola, Sharpe’s longclaw, olive ibis, African crowned eagle, African grass owl, purple-throated cuckooshrike, long-tailed widowbird, Cape eagle-owl, Kenrick’s starling, tambourine dove, emerald-spotted wood dove, red-billed duck, white-faced whistling duck, Egyptian goose, helmeted guineafowl, red-chested cuckoo, Abyssinian nightjar, scarce swift, African rail, red-knobbed coot, African jacana, common snipe, mountain wagtail, African pipit, yellow-crowned canary, golden-breasted bunting, streaky seedeater, cinnamon-breasted bunting, and northern pied babbler, among others.
Cave Exploration Mount Kenya National Park has a number of unique caves, like the Mau Mau cave, which is a historical cave where Kenyan freedom fighters would hide during the war in the 1950s to 1960s. Sadly, 200 people lost their lives when the British colonialists bombed the cave in 1959 after learning that Mau Mau fighters were hiding there. Tourists can explore various other caves on the mountain, some with unique features like waterfalls cascading outside.
Mountain Climbing Climbing Mount Kenya’s peaks is very challenging and requires technical and experienced climbers, especially for Batian and Nelion peaks. There are 8 main trekking routes on Mount Kenya, all leading to the lowest peak, Lenana. For a more unique experience, you can use different routes for ascending and descending, and the overall climb can take 3 to 8 days, depending on the route and speed of the climbers.
Game Viewing Mount Kenya National Park is a habitat to a wide range of mammals, including white-tailed buffalos, bongo antelopes, black and white colobus monkeys, black-fronted duikers, giant forest hogs, and so much more.
Nature Guided Walks Several walking trails have been established in the park, each leading to a unique location such as waterfalls. Walks can last from 30 minutes to even 7 hours. This is the best way to explore the park’s flora and fauna, unlike being in a car during a game drive. You also get to do birding and learn about plant and tree species during the walks.
Hiking There are hiking routes for inexperienced climbers to glimpse Mount Kenya from the top. Visitors who can’t climb to the peak can decide to hike to some elevations and then descend, but they will also be rewarded with scenic views, though not as good as from the peaks.
Attractions/What to See
Mount Kenya Mount Kenya is the main tourist attraction and the most popular activity for visitors to the park. Though challenging, the climb is worth it. The mixture of vegetation, breathtaking views, stunning sparkling lakes, and pristine wilderness make it a top tourist attraction and the second-highest mountain in Africa.
Lakes and Tarns There are 25 beautiful small lakes around Mount Kenya, with the main ones being Lake Michaelson, Lake Rutundu, Lake Ellis, and Lake Alice. Fishing from Lake Rutundu is possible with a small rowboat, and its waters also attract several wildlife species that come to drink at the shores. Lake Alice, on the other hand, is the largest on Mount Kenya, endowed with sparkling beauty, and tourists can also do trout fishing here.
Wildlife Mount Kenya offers good wildlife and birding opportunities.
Please note that disposable water bottles are not allowed in the park; all travelers must carry their own reusable water bottles. All luggage will be weighed at the gate because porters won’t be allowed to carry luggage over 25 kg.
Travelers planning to hike or climb Mount Kenya should carry some basics like waterproof hiking boots, sunglasses, hats, long-sleeved clothes, raincoats, sunscreen, insect repellent, energy snacks, plenty of drinking water, and other necessities.
All guides and porters you intend to hire for carrying luggage or climbing the mountain must be registered with the park management. Certified guides and porters should carry their identification documents with them. All other visitors are also requested to check in and register with the park and to check out upon leaving.
