Mount Longonot national park, Kenya is a dormant volcano that lies at the floor of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. Mount Longonot national park derived its name from a Masai dialect Oloonong’ot meaning Steep Ridges or Mountain of Many Spurs. It was formed about 400,000 years ago when there was a massive explosive volcanic action which led to the formation of the crater walls, forming a rugged crater rim of the Longonot. It is believed that the last eruption took place in 1860s leaving a crater form in the mountain which has been the habitat for wildlife, birds and plat life as well. Mount Longonot stands at a height of 2780 meters above the sea level at Kilele Ngamia summit.
Mount Longonot was established in 1968 by Kenya Wildlife Services and this was aimed at securing the park’s biodiversity and the volcanic landscapes and a unique virgin forest that is in the middle of the crater of the mountain. The crater rim has enchanting scenery across the rift valley and Lake Naivasha.
The main tourist attractions in Longonot national park include; the crater itself, wildlife for example buffaloes, lions, leopards, elands, zebras, giraffes, bushbucks, gazelles among others. Mount Longonot is 90 kilometers away from Nairobi Kenya’s capital city. Mount Longonot national park is a small national park compared to other national parks in Kenya like Masai Mara national reserve, Lake Nakuru national park, Amboseli national park among others and it covers an area of about 52 kilometers squared.
Attractions in Mount Longonot National Park
Mount Longonot
This is the main attraction in the park, a dormant volcano that lies southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. The crater itself is another attraction with a thick forest in between on the mountain is a substantial attraction to the park. the crater rim offers fascinating views of the park and the surrounding area and you can stretch your eyes and see Lake Naivasha.
Wildlife in Mount Longonot National Park
Mount Longonot national park provides habitat to a number of wildlife which flourish in the park. Some of the wildlife in the park include; giraffes, buffaloes, lions, antelopes, baboons, monkeys among others.
Birding life in Mount Longonot National Park
Mount Longonot national park is a birding haven with a recorded number of 100 bird species. Some of the bird species in Longonot national park include; Verreaux’s eagle, pied crow, red-winged starling, red-eyed dove, superb starling, Abyssinian wheatear, variable sunbird, cape robin—chat, ring-necked dove, Nyanza swift, Nubian woodpecker, Chinspot batis, yellow-breasted Apalis, sentinel lark among others.
Crater Rim in Mount Longonot National Park
The crater rim is another fascinating feature in the park and if you hike on top of the crater, you will have magical view of the park and thick forest on the crater base.
What is the Best Time to Visit Mount Longonot National Park?
Mount Longonot national park can be visited all year around however the best time is during dry season between July and October and December to February. This is when all the hiking trails and paths in the park are dry and you can navigate the jungle properly and you can hike to the summit easily. Wet season is between March to June and October and November and this is the best time for birders to storm the park this is because wet season is for nesting and breeding, there is plenty of food in the park and birds soar in the skies all the time.
How to Get to Mount Longonot National Park?
You can access the park both by road and by air.
By Road: You will drive for about 2hours and 30minutes on a tarmac road from Nairobi via Nairobi-Nakuru highway, connect to Mount Longonot gate.
By Air: You will grab a domestic flight for example safari-link from Jomo Kenyatta international airport to Green Park Airstrip and from here you will use road transport to the park headquarters.
I encourage travelers who are hiking enthusiasts to combine visiting Mount Longonot with hiking Mountain Rwenzori in Uganda or Uganda gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park. Mount Longonot safaris can also be combined with gorilla trekking in Rwanda in Volcanoes national park or chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park. If you choose to combine Kenya with Uganda, grab a flight from Jomo Kenyatta international airport and fly to Uganda’s Entebbe international airport where your tour operator will be waiting to receive you and you advance with your trip.
