Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park is designated as “A beautiful wildlife haven” situated in the Great Rift Valley region. The park is encircled by bustling woodland meadows interspersed with Acacia trees. The park is renowned for its substantial flocks of flamingos, often referred to as “the pink lake.” The park derives its name from the native term “Nakuru,” signifying “the dusty place.”

The park encircles the pink lake, an alkaline body of water rich in algae that attracts numerous flamingos. The national park was designated as a bird sanctuary. It encompasses an average area of 188 square kilometers, rendering it one of the smaller national parks in Kenya. The park was established in 1961, encompassing only the lake and its immediate vicinity. The park was then expanded to include the Black Rhino refuge in order to facilitate the protection of the surviving rare rhino species, which had been severely impacted by poaching.

The park was called after its primary feature, Lake Nakuru, located near Nakuru town, renowned for being the dustiest town in the region. Lake Nakuru National Park once encompassed the lake, adjacent volcanic mountains, and the surrounding wide savannah grassland.

By 2009, the park housed approximately 25 black rhinos in the sanctuary, establishing it as one of the largest sanctuaries in Kenya for Eastern black rhinos. The sanctuary houses more than 70 Southern White Rhinos. Lake Nakuru National Park is located in the northwestern region of Nairobi along the primary route linking Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya. The travel from Nairobi to Lake Nakuru National Park requires 3 to 4 hours. The distance from the capital city, Nairobi, is 170 kilometers.

Lake Nakuru National Park is renowned as a birdwatching haven, boasting a record of over 400 avian species. The park accommodates both lesser and greater flamingos in substantial flocks and serves as an exceptional venue for game viewing, featuring four members of the African Big Five: buffalo, rhinos, leopards, and lions, with just elephants absent. Lake Nakuru National Park is administered by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Accessing Lake Nakuru National Park

The park is accessible via any of the three gates: Nderit Gate, Main Gate, and Lanet Gate. Of the three gates, Nderit is the least utilized, resulting in its diminished prominence among them. Utilizing a tour operator allows for a splendid scenic journey, with a stop at the Great Rift Valley, while traversing the Nairobi-Nakuru highway and entering the park via the Lanet Gate or by diverting through Nakuru town to access the main gate. The journey requires 4 to 5 hours, spanning around 170 kilometers from Nairobi. Public transportation offers multiple shuttles that travel daily from Nairobi city to Nakuru town, where you can arrange special hire to the park.

An alternative is the regular flights from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Naishi Airstrip, located in the southern region of the park.

Attractions located in Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park features numerous attractions; nonetheless, its size appears diminutive. It is endowed by nature with numerous attractions both within and outside the park, as summarized below:

Wildlife:

Lake Nakuru National Park is home to four of the five members of the African Big Five, with the African elephant being the sole exception. The park is renowned as a birding sanctuary, although also offers exceptional opportunities for seeing wildlife. The park is home to several creatures, including zebras, baboons, hippos, giraffes, hyenas, lions, warthogs, monkeys, elands, impalas, leopards, waterbucks, and buffalo, among others.

Birds:

A habitat for more than 400 avian species, including both Lesser and Greater Flamingos. Additional avian species encompass ostriches, herons, great blue-eared starlings, kingfishers, pelicans, Hottentot teal, cormorants, Abyssinian thrush, sooty falcon, black-tailed godwit, and arrow-marked babblers, among others. The diverse habitats within the park provide an advantage for hosting a significant number of bird species. The wetlands adjacent to the lake, rugged volcanic formations, expansive savannah grasslands, and thorny plants within the park.

Baboon Cliff:

The Baboon Cliff is a prominent vantage point where visitors can enjoy spectacular aerial views of Lake Nakuru National Park. The guests participate in walking safaris with the guide at Baboon Cliff, a region abundant in avian species and fauna. The name derives from the prevalent baboons at the cliff, where they sunbathe and engage in leisure activities while watching the rift valley.
Makalia Waterfall is located in the southern region of Lake Nakuru National Park. It offered stunning vistas alongside hiking opportunities. It is also an excellent location for seeing wildlife, as they arrive to drink water. It also accommodates a greater diversity of avian species, including both aquatic birds and terrestrial birds such as woodpeckers and common bulbuls, among others. Guests can either observe the power of the waterfalls from the base or trek to the summit for a different perspective.

Activities conducted at Lake Nakuru

Inquiring about activities or attractions during your planned safari to Lake Nakuru Park. Do not fret further after perusing the comprehensive facts regarding the park in our blog entries or national parks. We included all essential information for effortless trip planning; below are the primary enjoyable experiences in Lake Nakuru Park.

Hiking safaris:

No prior hiking expertise is required to traverse any of the trails in the national park. The guided nature walks allow you to approach wildlife on foot, accompanied by a game ranger. The hiking locations are Baboon Cliff, Lion Hill Viewpoint, and Makalia Cliff.

Birding:

Lake Nakuru National Park is recognized as a sanctuary dedicated to the protection and conservation of endangered avian species inhabiting the area. The park contains the most extensive population of flamingos in East Africa. Additional avian species encompass both aquatic and terrestrial birds, including: Marabou storks, pelicans, hammerkops, Hottentot teal, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Abyssinian thrush, Lesser Kestrel, Bateleur, Maccoa duck, Pallid harrier, Black-winged Lapwing, Crab-plover, European Roller, Sooty Falcon, Great snipe, Speke’s weaver, vultures, and numerous others. The park hosts more than 400 bird species observable year-round. The birdwatching excursions in Lake Nakuru National Park are particularly fruitful during the rainy season when the birds are nesting.

Wildlife observation:

Every visitor considering a trip to Africa considers the African Big Five as the most sought-after wildlife to observe. While Lake Nakuru National Park may not be an ideal location for observing the Big Five, it is the sole park in Kenya where visitors can reliably encounter the uncommon black rhinoceros during game drives. Additional fauna encompasses lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, oribi, dik-dik, warthogs, and more. The morning game drives are more gratifying when nature is more vibrant and dynamic.

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the closest parks to Nairobi, allowing people to have brief day safaris following business meetings. If you seek to save expenses while experiencing remarkable animals in a brief timeframe, Lake Nakuru National Park is the ideal option.