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National parks in Kenya are world-famous for their breathtaking landscapes and incredibly rich wildlife. Nairobi National Park is known for its unique urban backdrop and abundant wildlife. Mount Kenya National Park offers stunning views of Africa’s second-highest peak and diverse alpine vegetation. Tsavo West National Park features dramatic scenery, including lava flows, waterfalls, and the iconic Mzima Springs. These parks, along with many others like Maasai Mara and Amboseli, showcase Kenya’s rich biodiversity. Here, you can enjoy thrilling safaris, birdwatching, and observe the serene nature this country has to offer.
10 National Parks In Kenya
Kenya is known for its wildlife safaris. The following ten national parks in Kenya are among the most visited in the country and are worth exploring on your next trip here.
1. Aberdare National Park
Photo: BIT1982 / Wikimedia Commons
Aberdare National Park lies near the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi, and is spread over an area of seven hundred square kilometres. The national park covers some parts of the Aberdare Mountain Range and provides different habitats for the animals it houses. Some of the animals that you can observe here are lions, mountain reedbucks, elephants, eastern black rhinos, Cape buffalo, leopards, etc. It conserves the surrounding mountain range and its wildlife. A few of the endangered birds that you can see here are Sparrowhawk, Jackson’s Spurfowl, African fish eagle, and Aberdare Cisticola.
Location: Nyandarua and Nyeri County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 6 PM
2. Amboseli National Park
Photo: Ray in Manila / Wikimedia Commons
Amboseli National Park is situated in the Loitoktok District and occupies an area of around eight thousand square kilometres. It is located near the border of Tanzania and has more than four hundred species of birds. Some of the birds you can watch here are kingfishers, pelicans, hamerkops, and crakes. Among the five main swamps present in Kenya, it conserves two of them. Some animals you can see here on the safari are impala, Maasai giraffe, cape buffalo, zebra, lion, African bush elephant, and cheetah.
Location: Kajiado County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 6:15 PM
3. Chyulu Hills National Park
Photo: Ninara / Wikimedia Commons
Chyulu Hills National Park lies on the southeast side of Kenya and is close to Tanzania. This national park in Kenya got its name from the majestic Chyulu Hills, which is known for its volcanic activities. In the nearby area of Chyulu Hills National Park, Tsavo’s East and West national parks lie. It has one of the longest lava tubes known by the name Kisula Cave. The national park inhabits the Maasai community and organises numerous educational safaris for visitors. Some of the animals that are present here include zebra, buffalo, elephant, leopard, reedbuck, black rhino, and steenbok.
Location: Makueni County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 6 PM
4. Lake Nakuru National Park
Photo: BIT1982 / Wikimedia Commons
Lake Nakuru National Park is spread over one hundred and fifty square kilometres and is situated in the Rift Valley (a geographical fault line). The national park was created to conserve Lake Nakuru, one of the Rift Valley’s lakes. Here, you will find many flamingos due to the abundance of algae growing in the lake. Other than numerous species of birds, you might also encounter baboons and warthogs. There are various animals that you can witness here, such as eastern black and southern rhinoceros, Rothschild giraffes, waterbucks, leopards, pythons, and lions.
Location: Nakuru County, Kenya
Timings: 6:30 AM – 6:30 PM
5. Maasai Mara National Park
Photo: Siddharth Maheshwari / Wikimedia Commons
Maasai Mara National Park is known to be one of the most famous national parks in Kenya. This destination is popular among tourists for witnessing the great migration, during which around two million herbivores move to the land of Maasai Mara. Around sixty-three years ago, in 1961, this conserved area opened to the public as a national park in Kenya. The Maasai Mara National Park was named after the Maasai Community, who inhabited the park area. While on safari, some of the animals that you can encounter here are blue wildebeests, cheetahs, gazelles, and zebras.
Location: Narok County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 5 PM
6. Meru National Park
Photo: Nina R / Wikimedia Commons
Meru National Park is situated near the city of Meru and covers an area of more than eight hundred square kilometres. It was opened to the public in 1966 and offers wildlife safaris while considering the well-being of the animals. Other than wildlife, this national park in Kenya has various attractions like Adamsons Falls, Tana River, and Mount Kenya that can be witnessed from here. A few of the animals that you might encounter here are lions, African leopards, bush elephants, cheetahs, and hippopotamus.
Location: Meru County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 7 PM
7. Mount Kenya National Park
Photo: Hdahlmo / Wikimedia Commons
This national park was established to protect the surrounding area of Mount Kenya, which is the second-largest mountain in the African continent. Mount Kenya National Park was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site around the 1990s. The park is filled with scenic locations and rich wildlife, which attracts tourists from around the world. It is spread over seven hundred square kilometres, and volcanic sediments have been found in its surroundings. There is a large farmland where you can see animals such as black-and-white colobuses, elephants, lions, and African buffalos.
Location: Meru and Nyeri counties, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 6 PM
8. Nairobi National Park
Photo: yeowatzup / Wikimedia Commons
The Nairobi National Park is situated near the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi, and occupies over a hundred square kilometres of area. The park was opened to the public seventy-eight years ago, in 1946, and has vast greenland. Many educational tours and safaris are organised by the park to educate people and spread awareness about animal conservation. Here, you can observe animals such as the Nile crocodile, black rhinoceros, lion, hippopotamus, common eland, spotted hyena, cheetah, hartebeest, waterbuck, baboon, and jackal. It also has several unique plants growing in the region, like Drimia calcarata and Murdannia clarkeana.
Location: Nairobi County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 6:30 PM
9. Sibiloi National Park
Photo: Maina Kiarie, Enzi Museum / Wikimedia Commons
The Sibiloi National Park lies in the north of Kenya and is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was opened to the public in 1973 and is one of the three national parks situated around Lake Turkana. This national park in Kenya got its name from Mount Sibiloi. It is said that some fossils were found here, which turned out to be crucial in understanding human evolution. A few of the activities you can do here are camping and observing wildlife on the safari.
Location: Turkana County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 6 PM
10. Tsavo West National Park
Photo: Ninara / Wikimedia Commons
Tsavo West National Park is among the largest national parks in the world and covers more than a thousand square kilometres of area. This national park in Kenya houses the Mzima Springs, rich wildlife, a rhino reserve, and the Tsavo River. It also has some archaeological sites, the findings of which belonged to the early, middle, and late Stone Ages. If you are looking to camp near the Tsavo River or explore the adventure of rock climbing, then a permit is needed for it. Some of the animals here are hippopotamus, elephant, leopard, lion, eastern black rhinoceros, hartebeest, and Maasai giraffe.
Location: Taita-Taveta County, Kenya
Timings: 6 AM – 7 PM
National parks in Kenya have rich wildlife and stunning landscapes. You can explore Aberdare National Park’s misty forests, observe herds of elephants at Amboseli National Park, or spot flamingos at Lake Nakuru National Park. These parks promise unforgettable adventures, from thrilling safaris to tranquil nature walks. Book your trip with TripXL and let Kenya’s breathtaking parks become a part of your cherished memories.
Cover Photo: Nick Fewings / Unsplash / Image For Representation Only
