Hell’s Gate National Park
This small park near Lake Naivasha isn’t on many safari itineraries. It contains a nice variety of plains animals, but it lacks most of the flagship species. The appeal lies more in the scenery with impressive sandstone cliffs and volcanic outcrops. Rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking are some of the activities available. It’s one of the few parks in Kenya where you can easily walk among herds of plains animals.
A hot spot for climbers, Hell’s Gate National Park is one of the few parks in Kenya that allows camping and enables you to explore on foot or bicycle.
Hell’s Gate offers excellent climbing and hiking opportunities, with two extinct volcanoes; the red cliffs of Hell’s Gate Gorge; ObsidianCaves; and the pointed column of rock known as Fischer’s Tower, a former volcanic plug.
Geothermal features include hot springs and natural geysers hissing steam through vents in the earth’s crust. The park also protects a wide variety of wildlife, including leopards, baboons, hartebeest, eland, ostriches, gazelles, and more than 100 species of birds. Eagle and vulture breeding grounds also lie within the park.
The Oloor Karia Maasai Cultural Centre within the park is also worth a visit, with Maasai singing, dancing, and jewelry-making demonstrations.
Interestingly, Olkaria Geothermal Station lies within Hell’s Gate National Park. It generates power from heated, pressurized water underground and is the first of its kind in Africa.
Size: 68km² / 26mi²
Altitude: 1,663-2,296m / 4,456-7,533ft
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