Lake Nakuru National Park
Background Information
Lake Nakuru is a very shallow
strongly alkaline lake 62 km2 in
extent. It is set in a
picturesque landscape of
surrounding woodland and
grassland next to Nakuru town.
The landscape includes areas of
marsh and grasslands alternating
with rocky cliffs and outcrops,
stretches of acacia woodland and
rocky hillsides covered with a
Euphorbia forest on the eastern
perimeter.
The lake catchment is bounded by
Menengai crater to the north,
the Bahati hills to the north
east, the lion hill ranges to
the east, eburu crater to the
south and the mau escarpment to
the west. Three major rivers,
the njoro, makalia and enderit
drain into the lake, together
with treated water from the
town's sewage works and the
outflow from several springs
along the shore.
Lake Nakuru was first gazetted
as a bird sanctuary in 1960 and
upgraded to National Park status
in 1968. A northern extension
was added to the park in 1974
and the lake was designated as a
Ramsar site in 1990. The
foundation of the parks food
chains is the cyanophyte
spirulina platensis which can
support huge numbers of lesser
flamingo.
Location:
Central Kenya, 140km
north-west of Nairobi, in Nakuru
District of the Rift Valley
Province. It covers an area of
188 km2.
Climate:
Ranges from Cold, Hot and
Humid, Hot and Dry. Annual
rainfall is 965mm
How To Get There
Roads:
The park has a tarmac road
connection with Nairobi, a
distance of 156 km north west of
Nairobi on the main A104 road.
The most commonly used route
into the park is via the main
gate, 4 km from Nakuru Town
Centre. It is also possible to
enter the park from the main
Nairobi Nakuru road at Lanet
Gate. The Nderit Gate is used by
people accessing the park from
Masai Mara or Elementaita.
Airstrips:
The Naishi airstrip services
the park for tourism and KWS
activities.
Park Roads:
The park has an adequate and
well serviced motorable roads
that make most parts of the park
accessible.
Park Gates:
The park has three gates,
Main Gate and Lanet Gate that
link the park with the Nairobi-Nakuru
highway and the less used Nderit
Gate.
Major Attractions
Flamingo (Greater and
Lesser) and other water birds
including a variety of
terrestrial birds numbering
about 450 species in total.
Mammals: 56 different species
including white rhinos.
View-points: Lion hill, Baboon
cliff and Out of Africa
Hills: Enasoit, Honeymoon, Lion
hill ridge etc.
Waterfalls: Makalia
Unique vegetation: About 550
different plant species
including the unique and biggest
euphorbia forest in Africa,
Picturesque landscape and yellow
acacia woodlands.
Facilities
Lodges:
Lake Nakuru lodge & Sarova Lion
Hill Lodge
Campsites:
Enjoro campsite.
Picnic sites:
Makalia Falls Enjoro River
Mouth near the main gate,
Baharini, Acacia, Baboon Cliff,
Out of Africa, Lion Hill Summit.
Activities Game viewing, bird
watching
Common Vegetation
The vegetation is mainly
wooded and bushy grassland with
a wide ecological diversity and
characteristic habitats that
range from the lake waters to
the escarpment and ridges.
The normally water-covered
surface of the lake occupies
about a third of the park. The
lake water supports a dense
bloom of the blue-green
Cyanophyte Spirulina platensis
from which it derives its colour
and which is the major food
source for the flamingo.
The lake is fringed by alkaline
swamps with areas of sedge,
Cyprus laevigatus and typha
marsh along the river inflows
and springs. The surrounding
areas support a dry transitional
savanna with lake margin
grasslands of Sporobolus
spicatus salt grass moving into
grasslands of Hyparrhenia hirta
and rhodes grass Chloris gayana
in the lower areas.
More elevated areas have dry
forest with Acacia xanthophloea,
olive Olea hochstetteri and
Croton dichogamus; Euphorbia
candelabrum forest; and bushland
dominated by the composites,
Mulelechwa Tarchonanthus
camphoratus and Psiadia arabica.
Rocky hillsides on the Parks
eastern perimeter are covered
with Tarchonanthys scrub and a
magnificent Euphobia candelabrum
forest.
Lake Nakuru National Park,
Kenya Lake Nakuru National
Reserve, Kenya Lake Nakuru Park,
Lake Nakuru Safaris National
Parks of Kenya and Kenya
National Parks, Kenya Game
Parks, Kenya National Reserves,
Kenya Game Reserves, Kenya Game
Sanctuaries, Map of Kenya, Kenya
Safari Parks, Kenya Game
Safaris, Kenya National Park
Safari Operator
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