Gates in Aberdare National Park
Gates in Aberdare National Park: Aberdare national park is a protected area in the aberdare mountain range in central Kenya, located east of the east African rift valley.
It was named ‘the aberdare range’ in 1884 by the famous explorer joseph Thomson. The Aberdare Range is an isolated volcanic range that forms the eastern wall of the Rift Valley, running about 100 km north-south between Nairobi and Thomson’s Falls; this beautifully scenic region is much cooler than the savannahs and offers a completely different perspective on the country. The national park lies mainly above the tree line and is spectacular, with its mountainous terrain covered in thick tropical forests swathed in mist.
The park occupies nearly fifty acres (20.25 ha); it opened on 27th July 1869. The Aberdare National Park has animals like elephants, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, buffaloes, warthogs, and bushbucks, among others. Rare sightings include those of the giant forest hog, bongo, golden cat, serval cat, African wild cat, African civet cat and blue duiker, all to thrill while on Wildlife Kenya Safaris.
Gates in aberdare national park
The entry gates include the treetops gate, ruhuruini gate, Kiandongoro gate, Mutubio west gate, Shamata gate, rhino gate, wanderis gate and ark gate. There are eight gates in aberdare national park in Kenya.
- The treetops gate.
The treetops gate is an entrance or exit gate for aberdare national park and it’s the nearest to the mweiga headquarters and airstrip.
What do we do there?
Get your tickets or park permits checked before entry, as well as information about the park, including the state of the roads. Most payment services and smart cards are available at the headquarters nearby.
The famous treetops are unique. Originally built in 1932, treetops is famous as the place where the then-princess Elizabeth learned of her father’s death and ascended to the British throne in 1952.
Styled to resemble a ship, the lodge comprises four decks and a top viewing deck. Timber built, it is raised on stilts overlooking a water hole and salt lick, while living tree branches form part of the fabric of the building itself. Solely dedicated to game-viewing, the accommodation is compact. At 6450 feet above sea level, it can also be chilly at night at all times of the year (and especially during the Kenyan winter, from June to September).
Typically guests take lunch at the outspan hotel in nyeri before journeying to treetops. Upon arrival they are met by a ranger for a briefing on optimum safety and game viewing. Treetops is located just inside the gates of the Aberdare national park, overlooking a waterhole and salt lick.
- The Ruhuruini gate,
It’s one of the lesser-used entrance or exit gates for aberdare national park situated on its eastern end.
Ruhuruini gate is amidst the rain forests of Aberdare national park’s eastern end near a small river.
What to do there?
Check into the park, get information about it, get park tickets or permits or pay for the park fees.
Most of these services are also available at the mweiga park headquarter with many opting to complete payments there.
Best time to visit.
Anytime you can visit Aberdare national park using the Ruhuruini but when it’s raining.
How to get there.
By vehicle, as the closest aerodrome is abit further out, in nyeri. The driver from nyeri goes through several smaller towns, commercial forests and finally, the park’s own forests.
A vehicle would be needed to get into and roam the park.
- Kiandongoro gate.
It’s an entrance or exit point for Aberdare national park, located on its southeastern border. Its position offers amazing views of the park from a high vantage point. Most of the park’s famous falls are nearby.
What to do there?
Get information about the park, get tickets, get tickets or park permits, and make payments for park fees. Kenya wildlife service uses electronic payment means, which are bank deposit slips, Pesa, credit/debit cards and safari cards.
Best time to visit.
Anytime during the dry days of the year.
How to get there?
By vehicle, with the path from the east taking a rather lengthy drive through the rain forest. There aren’t any airstrips nearby, with the closest aerodrome being in nyeri.
Either way, a vehicle would be needed to roam the park.
- Mutubio west gate.
It is one of the official entry or exit points of Aberdare national park with Kenya wildlife services. Mutubio west gate sits on a small plateau in the highlands of the Aberdare ranges. This is the remote area on the southern end of Aberdare national park.
What to do there?
Make payments for the park fees, get tickets/park permits, check in or out of the park, and get information about the park.
Also bird watching and game viewing a few animals that stray into the area.
The Kenya wildlife service uses a number of electronic payment methods.
Best time to visit.
The dry season of the year.
How to get there?
By vehicle, as there are no ant airstrips nearby, the drive from Naivasha/Kinongop takes on a lengthy ascent, using a tarmac road that takes up the slopes of the aberdare ranges.
- Shamata gate.
Shamata gate sits in the rain forests of Aberdare national park’s northwestern end. It’s also near a rural farming community; it’s one of the official entrance/exit points for Aberdare national park.
What to do there?
Make payments of park fees, get entry permits/tickets, and get information about the park, game viewing, bird watching and camping nearby.
Best time to visit,
Anytime during the less rainy days of the year.
How to get there?
By vehicle or air, with the latter using an airstrip near the area. Vehicle would still be needed to roam the park, with 4×4 being essential during the rains.
- Rhino gate.
Rhino gate sits on the northern end of the aberdare national park with a turning point along the nyeri –nyahururu road. It is a remote area, and the country’s tallest mountain, Mount Kenya, can be seen from here. it is an official entrance or exit gate for Aberdare national park situated on its northern border with minimal facilities.
What to do there?
Pay for park fees, get park permits/tickets, and get information about the park or assistance from the arranger.
Best time to visit.
Any time during the less rainy days of the year.
- Wanderis gate.
It’s one of the aberdare national park’s entrance or exit gates situated on its northeastern border, with few facilities. It’s less than an hour’s drive outside the town of nyeri on the way to nyahururu.
What to do there?
Get your park permits or tickets, pay for them, get information about the park, or get assistance from the arranger.
Other park-related services may be available at the Kenya wildlife service mweiga headquarters.
Best time to visit.
Anytime when it is not raining.
How to get there.
You can reach there either by vehicle or air.
You may need a vehicle to get into and roam the park. There are a number of airstrips in the area, with the nearest being the mweiga and nyeri airport. 4×4 can be used, although some areas of the park may become inaccessible during the rains thus Gates in Aberdare National Park.
- Ark gate.
Ark gate sits on Aberdare national park’s eastern end, along a road that also leads to the nearby ark hotel. It is also less than a half-hour drive from the town of Nyeri with a turning point along the Nyahururu road. It’s one of several entrance or exit points into Aberdare national park, with the Kenya wildlife services offices onsite.
What to do there?
Get your park/permits/tickets using an electronic payment system of m-Pesa, credit /debit cards, bank deposit slips, and safari cards, or get assistance from Kenya wildlife service ranger and information about the park, such as conditions of roads
Other park-related administrative services may be available at the Mweiga headquarters.
Best time to visit.
Anytime when it is not raining.
Note: the following are months of the year and how you would visit Aberdare national park month by month.
Best time
June to September (dry season)
High season
June to October and December to march (hotels get busy)
Low season
April and may (some roads might be in bad condition and rain might sometimes interfere with your trip)
Best weather
June to September and December to February (less rain)
Worst weather
April, May and October (peaks of the short and long rains)
Aberdare national park was gazetted as a national park in 1950 mainly to offer refuge to wildlife and the Aberdare Mountain range. Aberdare national park sits between the elevations of 2000 meters and 4000meters above sea level and covers a total land area of 766 square kilometers, which is comprised of moorland, bamboo forests, deep v-shaped valleys intersected by rivers, waterfalls, streams, and rainforests, among others thus Gates in Aberdare National Park.
