Mount Longonot National Park Kenya is actually 52sq km of rugged landscape with a dormant volcano, savannah plains, steep slopes of the mountain, a crater formed on the formation of the Great Rift Valley, V shaped valleys and a rain forest within the crater basin. The park is about 90km from Nairobi via tarmac road into the Naivasha rift valley province.
Mount Longonot
The mountain is a dormant volcano that occupies much of Longonot National Park in Kenya rising to 2,776m above sea level. The name comes from the Masai dialect word oloonong’ot which translates for steep ridges. The mountain has a deep crater on top covered in forest of small trees. There are steam vents on the steep crater walls.
Things to do
The mountain and the fringing park to the slopes are under management by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Major game attractions within the park include elands, buffalos, lions, leopard, bushbucks, zebra, grant gazelle, buffalos, giraffes, baboons and many other animals. Game viewing is good all year round and the beat time to visit is around January to April and later in the year from September to December
The park has frontage view of
Lake Naivasha
in the south east a few kilometers away thus birding is also another fascination in the park. Hiking and rock climbing is another way to experience Mount Longonot National park. Trails to the crater peak (2780m) normally take up to 5 hours of climbing steep mountain ridges and then reach Longonot Gate standing at 2150m.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Mt. Longonot National park is limited but you can find a wide range of overnight facilities in Naivasha town near the Lake such as luxury hotels, guesthouses, ranch, homestay and cottages. Camping is allowed within the Park but you need to carry supplies such as drinking water, tents, and other picnic items.
