Hells Gate National Park is located in the south of Lake Naivasha and northwest of Nairobi in Kenya. It is Kenya’s best guided nature walks and hiking safari destination. The park is the best destination in the world for hiking adventure experiences. This is because there are no predators in Hells Gate National Park. It was established in 1984 covering an area of approximately 68.3 square kilometers. Hells Gate National Park stands at an elevation of about 1,900 meters above sea level. The park harbors two extinct volcanoes Olkaria and Hobley’s. These offer incredible sceneries of the park. The park was named by the British explorersFisher and Thomson who visited the park in 1883. Hells Gate National Park is characterized by different ecosystems from the highland rock cliffs to the underlying valleys. It is located in the Eastern Arm of the Rift Valley and was named after a narrow break in the cliffs once a tributary of the prehistoric lake.
Attractions in Hells Gate National Park
Hells Gate National Park has several attractions that can interest visitors on a visit to the park. These range from the landscape features to flora and fauna species. These include the following.
Wildlife
Several wildlife species harbor in Hells Gate National Park. These can be seen in the different ecological systems in the park. Although it is believed there are predators like lions and leopards, they are rarely seen and hence most people have concluded that they are not there. Some of the wildlife species in Hells Gate National Park include giraffes, eland, hartebeest, buffalo, small gazelles, and antelopes to mention but a few.
Birds
Hells Gate National Park hosts about 100 bird species though it has a small size. The park harbors both the endemic birds which are the common residents and the seasonal migratory birds. Some of these birds include Verreaux’s eagles, Egyptian and Rüppell’s vultures, Augur buzzards, swifts, African kestrels, Arrow-marked babblers, Chinspot batis, Golden-winged sunbird, Eastern imperial eagle, Jackson’s widowbird, mottled swift, Nyanza swift, Red-winged starling, Schalow’s wheatear, White-rumped swift, Yellow bishop, and Yellow-rumped seedeater to mention but a few.
Obsidian caves
Hell’s Gate National Park also harbors the Obsidian caves that offer amazing scenes. These caves have Obsidian black glass-like rocks which were formed when hot lava or magma came in contact with water and cooled rapidly. Mount Longonot located in the southeastern of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley is a stratovolcano that last erupted in the 1860s. It lava flowed as far as Hell’s Gate National Park forming the rocks of Obsidian caves.
Activities at Hell’s Gate National Park
Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya offers a wide range of tourist activities that are of interest to several visitors. Some of these activities are listed below.
Biking
Cycling or biking safari adventure in the Hell’s Gate National Park is a major activity in the park. There are designated cycling trails that take the bikers through different features and species. These expose the bikers to the beautiful scenes of the park, and wildlife species like buffaloes, antelopes, giraffes, etc. The cycling safaris in the park are of two types long cycling of 9 kilometers and short cycling of 6 kilometers. Both offer exceptional views of the park. Biking or cycling is a physical activity that requires one to be physically fit as the trails can be steep and hard to maneuver.
Hiking
Guided nature walks and hikes are major activities in the park offering spectacular views of the park. Visitors can explore the park on foot andbond with the surrounding environment and nature. There are several hiking trails designated to ease the walking safari adventure experiences in the park. Professional and experienced arm ranges lead the visitors on these hiking adventures as they learn the different features and species in the park.
Rock climbing
This is an extreme tourist activity that requires visitors taking on this activity to be very fit and mentally prepared. Visitors climb the 25-meter Fischer’s Tower cliff which has slippery rocks that are challenging to maneuver challenging even the most experienced climbers.
Where to stay
There are various accommodation facilities both inside and outside the park. These facilities range in classes from luxury and midrange to budget. These classes fit any visitor traveling in different ranges. Some of the accommodation facilities include Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge, Sweet Lake Resort, and Dove Nest Lodge to mention but a few.
When to visit
Hell’s Gate National Park is ever open all year around however the best time to visit is during the dry season. The park receives two dry and wet seasons annually. The dry season runs from June to August and December to February. During this time the park is dry offering clear viewing of the park species and landscape features.
However, the wet season which runs from March to May and September to November can also be a great period to visit the park for birding since the migratory birds can easily be spotted during this period.