Overview

The beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park is found in Nakuru county of Kenya. It is one of the most popular parks in East Africa. Lake Nakuru itself is a key and attractive feature of the park. The park is perfect for wildlife viewing. It has a favorable climate and stunning scenery. It is popular for its pink flamingos. Here are 3 reasons you need to add Lake Nakuru National Park to your itinerary.

Wildlife

One of the popular Lake Nakuru National Park activities is game viewing. This is because the park is home to many species of wild animals. It has 4 of the Big Five. You can spot leopards, lions, buffaloes, and rhinos. It is very rare to spot elephants in the park. Other present mammals include zebras, water bucks, and giraffes among others.

The park is rich in birdlife. It has recorded over 450 species. The most common water birds are pink flamingos. The park is home to hundreds of thousands of these beautiful birds. Travelers love the sightings of water birds in the park. Other common birds include herons, ostriches, kingfishers, and storks among others.

Scenery

 Lake Nakuru National Park has attractive scenery. The park has unique vegetation that gives it a lovely view. It has over 550 species of plants including yellow acacia woodlands and euphorbia trees. Its landscape is colorful. Makalia Falls in the park provides a magnificent view.  Other features that beautify the park include hills such as Lion Hill Ridge and Enasoit.

Climate

Lake Nakuru National Park has a favorable climate.  It rarely gets hot at the park. This is because of its higher altitude. The dry season is between June and February. Daytime is usually sunny between June and December. But occasional rains are recorded. Temperatures are around 25°C. It gets even cooler at night with temperatures falling to around 9°C. January to February is usually very dry. Temperatures can go as high as 28°C. But it is mostly warm not hot. The wet season is between March and May. Heavy rains are experienced during this period. Daytime temperatures are around 27°C. Early morning temperatures are around 11°C.

FAQs About Lake Nakuru National Park

• Where is Lake Nakuru National Park located?

It is located in Nakuru County of Kenya. Nakuru is one of the four capital cities of Kenya. The park is about 155 km northwest of Nairobi. Nairobi is the largest city in Kenya. Traveling by road from the city to the park is about 3 hours and 40 minutes. Its latitude is – 0.366667 ° S. The longitude is 36.083333 ° E.

• What activities are done at Lake Nakuru National Park?

There is a lot to do at the park. Game drives through the park allow you to spot many wild animals. The open landscape makes it easier to spot these animals. You can enjoy bird watching in the park. Observing a large population of flamingos is an amazing experience. You can visit Makalia Falls. You can enjoy guided nature walks in the park. Camping is another Lake Nakuru National Park safari activity.

• Which is the best time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park?

You can visit Lake Nakuru at any time across the year. The park is fenced. So, even in wet weather, animals are still roaming inside the park. But driving during the wet season can be a challenge. This makes the dry season the best time to visit the park (June to February). But for colorful photography, you can visit during the wet season.

• How do I get to Lake Nakuru National Park?

The park is easily accessible. You can get there by road. There is a tarmac connection between the park and Nairobi. This is a distance of about 156 km. You can also get to the park via air travel. There is an airstrip (Naishi) that enables visitors to get to the park quickly.