Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National park is located in Nakuru County which is about 160Km from Nairobi City which is Kenya’s capital. Thousands of tourists; both local and international flock the park every year to see wildlife and visit Lake Nakuru which is found inside the park.
Lake Nakuru National Park was formed in 1968 after an upgrade of Lake Nakuru from a birds’ sanctuary to a park.

About Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru also known as ‘the greatest bird spectacle on earth’ is one of the alkaline lakes in Rift Valley and is 1754 meters above sea level. The lake is famous for attracting millions of flamingos and other bird species. Presence of algae on the lake bed is the major reason why flamingos have made the lake shores their home. The flamingos are believed to have migrated from Lake Baringo in Baringo County in search of food before finally settling on the shores of Lake Nakuru.

The lake was first gazzetted by the Kenyan government as a bird sanctuary in 1960 before being advanced into a park. Tourists who have visited the park have had only great things to say about the thousands of flamingos around the lake which offer quite a breathtaking view. The flamingos can be watched from as close as the lake shores or from a cliff famously known as the Baboon Cliff. From the cliff, one gets a panoramic view of the lake together with the birds.

Wildlife in Lake Nakuru National Park

Apart from flamingos, Lake Nakuru National Park is rich in wild animals, birds and plants. The park is known to be home to the endangered black and white rhinos. It has a rhino sanctuary which hosts about 70 white rhinos and more than 25 black rhinos. The sanctuary is greatly fenced to keep away poachers who are in search of the rhinos. Other animals found at Lake Nakuru National Park include baboons, endangered Rothschild’s giraffe , lions, leopard, cheetah, waterbucks, buffalo and Zebras. The park also has about 400 registered bird species which include pelicans, cormorants, ducks and grebes among other species.

Lake Nakuru National Park also has beautiful natural forests, waterfalls and cliffs.

Activities at Lake Nakuru National park

There are various activities to involve in once you get to Lake Nakuru National Park. On entry to the park, you will be welcomed by baboons which hang on trees. If you leave your car windows open, the baboons will welcome themselves inside and if there is any food inside, they will run away with it. You can carry some bananas to feed the baboons.

Some of the activities at the park are;

Bird watching

If you love bird watching, Lake Nakuru National park is the perfect place to visit. Remember to carry binoculars with you.

Game drives and Game walks

Because of the huge numbers of wild animals at the park, game drives and game walks are a great way to spend your time
Picnics and nature walks

Lake Nakuru National Park has beautiful natural forests and waterfalls which offer beautiful sites for picnics and nature walks.

Hiking – The cliffs at the park offer great hiking grounds.