The National Park lies mainly above the tree line running along the 10,000 ft contour with some forest and scrub at lower altitude in the 'salient' area near Nyeri with the boundary running down to the 7000 ft contour. The unusual vegetation, rugged terrain, streams and waterfalls combine to create an area of great scenic beauty in the National Park. The park is surrounded by a predominantly indigenous forest, whose management is under an MoU between KWS and the Forest Department.
Location: Central highlands, west of Mount Kenya; Nyeri District; Central Province; 766 km2.
Climate: Mist and rain occur throughout much of the year, with precipitation varying from around 1000 mm yearly on the north western slopes to as much as 3000 mm in the south east. Heavy rainfall occurs through most of the year.
HOW TO GET THERE
Roads
The park is readily accessible on tarmac from Nyeri and Naro Moru on the eastern side (160 kms from Nairobi). A road crosses the park to connect with another from Naivasha and North Kinangop on the west.
The main towns from which the park can be approached are Nyeri (1.54 km from Nairobi) Nyahururu (188 km from Nairobi) and Naivasha (87 km from Nairobi).
Airstrips
Mweiga Airstrip, next to the park headquarters or Nyeri Airstrip which is 12 km from Mweiga headquarters.
Park Roads
The park has 60 km and 396 km of primary and secondary roads respectively. The salient has an adequate road network. The central Aberdares is hardly accessible during the wet season and there are few rnotorable roads in Northern Aberdares which is also cut off from the central Aberdares. Most of the current road network is not accessible during the wet season
Park Gates
From Nyeri - Ruhuruini gate 20 km, Kiandongoro gate 30 km, Treetops gate 17 km, Ark gate 28 km, Wandare gate 47 km. From Nyahururu - Rhino gate 48 km, Shamata gate 45 km, Naivasha, Mutubio gate 50 km.
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS
Lesatima peak, Kinangop peak, waterfalls, walks in the moorlands, Twin hills, Elephant hills and Table mountains, Elephants, Second largest population of black rhinos in Salient and Northern Aberdares, Queen Elizabeth learned of her accession to the throne at Tree-tops, The Kimathi Hideout, Night viewing of wildlife at the Ark & Treetops.
FACILITIES
Bandas: Fishing Lodge; Ruhuruini (Camp Tusk); Sapper Hut; KWS Hut at Treetops; KWS HQ bungalow.
Lodges: Ark; Treetops.
Campasites: Shamata; Kinaini; Reedbuck; Ruburuini; Chania 1; Chania 2; Rhino Gate.
Special: Prince Charles; Kiguru 1; Kiguru II.
Picnic Sites: The park has five picnic sites.
Activities: Game viewing; trout fishing; camping.
WILDLIFE
Reptiles
Green Mamba, Cameleon, Lizard, Mountain Viper, Rainbow and brown trouts.
Major Animals
Aardvark; Ant Bear; Baboon, Olive; badger, honey; Bat, Banana; Bat, Hollow-faced; Bat, Rousette Fruit; Bongo; Buffalo, African; BushBaby, Greater; BushBaby, Lesser; BushBaby, Thick tailed; Bushbuck; Caracal; Cat, African Wild; Cat, Golden; Civet, African; Civet, African Palm; Colobus, Black and White; Dik-dik, Guenther's; Dik-dik, Kirk's; Dog, Hunting; Dormouse, African; Duiker, Blue; Duiker, Bush; Duiker, Common; Duiker, Peters; Duiker, Red; Duiker, Yellow Backed; Eland; Elephant, African; Galago, Greater; Gazelle, Thomson's; Genet, Common; Genet, Large-spotted; Genet, Servaline; Hare, African; Hog, Giant Forest; Hyaena, Spotted; Hyrax, Rock; Hyrax, Tree; Impala; Jackal, Black-backed; Jackal, Side-striped; Klipspringer; Leopard; Lion; Mongoose, Banded; Mongoose, Marsh; Mongoose, Pygmy; Mongoose, Slender; Mongoose, White-tailed; Monkey, Black faced Vervet; Monkey, Sykes; Oribi; Otter, Clawless; Otter, Spotted Necked; Pig, Forest Bush; Porcupine, Crested; Rat, Crested; Rat, Giant; Rat, Kenya Mole ; Reedbuck, Bohor; Reedbuck, Mountain; Rhinoceros, Black; Serval; Shrew, Giant White-toothed; Shrew, Mole; Squirrel, Bush; Steinbok; Suni; Warthog; Waterbuck, Common.
Major Birds
Apalis, Black-breasted; Apalis, Chestnut-throated; Apalis, Grey; Bee-eater, Cinnamon-chested; Bee-eater, European; Bonbon, Tropical; Bulbul, Yellow-vented; Bunting, Golden-breasted; Bush Shrike, Black-fronted; Bush Shrike, Doherty's; Buzzard, Augur; Buzzard, Mountain; Buzzard, Steppe; Camaroptera, Grey- backed; Canary, Brimstone; Canary, Yellow-crowned; Chat, Hill; Cisticola, Aberdare; Cisticola, Hunter's; Cisticola, Tinkling; Cisticola, Wing-snapping; Citril, African; Cordonbleu, Red-cheered; Cormorant, Long-tailed; Couch, White-browed; Crake, African; Crane, Crowned; Crimson-wing, Abyssinian; Crow, Pied; Cuckoo, Didric; Cuckoo, Emerald; Cuckoo, Klaas'; Cuckoo, Red-chested; CucrooShrire, Grey; CucrooShrire; Dove, Emerald-spotted; Dove, Laughing; Dove, Lemon; Dove, Pink-breasted; Dove, Red-eyed; Dove, Ring-necked; Dove, Tambourine; Drongo; Duck, African Black; Duck, Red-billed; Duck, Yellow-billed; Eagle, Ayres' Hawk; Eagle, Crowned Hawk; Eagle, Long-crested; Eagle, Steppe; Eagle, Verreaux's; Egret, Little; Egret, Yellow-billed; Falcon, Cuckoo; Finch, Grey-headed Negro; Finch, Oriole; Finfoot, African; Flycatcher, Chin-spot; Flycatcher, Dusky; Flycatcher, European Spotted; Flycatcher, Mountain Yellow; Flycatcher, Paradise; Flycatcher, Whiteeyed Slaty; Francolin, Jackson's; Francolin, Montane; Francolin, Scaly; Goose, Egyptian; Goshawk, African; Grebe, Little; Greenbul, Fischer's; Greenbul, Olive-breasted; Greenbul, Yellow-whiskered; Greenshanr; Hamrnerrop; Harder, Pallid; Harrier, European Marsh; Harrier, Montagu's; Heron, Black-headed; Heron, Buff-backed; Honeyguide, Greater; Hoopoe, White-headed; Hornbill, Crowned; Hornbill, Ground; Hornbill, Silverycheered; Ibis, Green; Ibis, Hadada; Ibis, Sacred; Ibis, Wood; Kestrel, European; Kestrel, Lesser; Kingfisher, Giant; Kingfisher, Malachite; Kingfisher, Pied; Kite, African Black....
COMMON VEGETATION
The dominant biotic communities represented in the park are afro-alpine moorland and moist forest communities. The vegetation varies with altitude with a rich alpine and sub-alpine flora giving way at lower altitudes to bamboo forests and then montane rainforest.
The mountain slopes, especially on the eastern and western flanks, are covered with heavy forest with tree ferns in places, Montana rainforest orl the western and north western slopes, ocotea forest on the south east and mixed Podocarpus latifolius forest on the east. The North zone is an open forest with a fairly small amount of dense forest and shrub.
At higher levels, around 3000m, the forest gives way to a bamboo zone (Arundinaria alpine) that also has a considerable amount of shrub.
Above the bamboo stretch miles of moorland, broken by rocky outcrops and hills, with a rich alpine and sub alpine flora, thickets of giant heath, species of senecio, lobelia, Festuca pilgeri and Carex moorland, Erica arborea, Helichrysum and Tussock grasses. Pockets of Hagenia forest (Hagenia abyssinica) also occur in sheltered patches on the moorland.
Notable plants include the aberdare endernics, Lobelia Decrenii sattimae and Helichrysum Gloria dei and the Aberdare/Mt Kenya endernics Lobelia bambuseti, Senecio reniensis, Senecio johnstonii, Battiscombei var, Battiscombei and Senecio reniodendron. The Aberdares are rich in the genus Alchernilla including Alchernilla Hageniae, Alchernilla Argyrophylla, Alchemilla Cyclophylla and the rare Alchernilla Microbetula. Species of Prunes, Junipers, Hagenia, Macaranga. The dominant biotic communities represented in the park are afro-alpine moorland and moist forest communities. The vegetation varies with altitude, a rich alpine and sub-alpine flora giving way at lower altitudes to bamboo forests and then montane rainforest.
The lower mountain slopes (1,829-2,590m), are dominated by Podocarpus, Olea and Cedar Juniperus procera. The eastern and western flanks, are covered with heavy forest with tree ferns in places, montane rainforest on the western and north western slopes, ocotea forest on the south east and mixed Podocarpus latifolius forest on the east. The North zone is an open forest with a fairly small amount of dense forest and shrub. At lower altitudes the forest species include cape chestnuts Calodendrum capense, Camphor Ocotea usambarensis, tree fern Cyathea decreni, elder Sambucus adnata, and wild banana Ensete ventricosa.
At higher levels, (2,600-3,000m), the forest gives way to a bamboo zone with Podocarpus, bamboo Arundinaria alpina, bamboo Hagenia abyssinica.
Above the bamboo strech miles of moorland, broken by rocky outcrops and hills, with a rich alpine and sub alpine flora, thickets of giant heath, species of senecio, lobelia, Festuca pilgeri and Carex moorland,
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