Mt. Kenya National Park
Mt. Kenya is an
imposing extinct volcano dominating
the landscape of the Kenyan
Highlands, East of the Rift. Mt.
Kenya lies about 140 km North,
North-East of Nairobi with its
Northern flanks across the Equator.
The mountain has two main peaks -
Batian (5200m) and Nelion (5188m).
The mountains slopes are cloaked in
 forest, bamboo, scrub and moorland
giving way on the high central peaks
to rock, ice and snow. Mt. Kenya is
an important water catchment area,
supplying the Tana and Northern
Ewaso Nyiro systems.
The park includes a variety of
habitats ranging from higher forest,
bamboo, alpine moorlands, glaciers,
tarns and glacial morains.The park
was inscribed by UNESCO as a World
Heritage Site in 1997
and is also a Biosphere Reserve.
Major attractions include: Pristine
wilderness, lakes, tarns, glaciers
and peaks of great beauty,
geological variety, forest, mineral
springs, rare and endangered species
of animals, High altitude adapted
plains game, Unique montane and
alpine vegetation with 11 species of
endemic plants.
The Aberdares National Reserve
The Aberdares are an isolated
volcanic range that forms the
eastern wall of the rift valley,
running roughly 100km north south
between Nairobi and Thomsons Falls.
Soils are red and of volcanic
origin, but rich in organic matter.
There are two main peaks, Ol Donyo
Lesatima (3,999m) and Kinangop
(3,906m) separated by a long saddle
of alpine moorland at over 3,000m.
The topography is diverse with deep
ravines that cut through the
forested eastern and western slopes
and there are many clear streams and
waterfalls. The
 Aberdares are an
important water catchment area
providing water to the Tana and Athi
rivers and part of Central Rift and
Northern drainage basins. The
National Park lies mainly above the
tree line running along the 10,000ft
contour
with some forest and scrub at lower
altitude in the 'salient' area near
Nyeri with the boundary running down
to the 7000ft contour. The unusual
vegetation, rugged terrain, streams
and waterfalls combine to create an
area of great scenic beauty in the
National Park. The park is
surrounded by a predominantly
indigenous forest.
Major attractions are; Lesatima
peak, Kinangop peak, waterfalls,
walks in the moorlands, Twin hills,
Elephant hills and Table mountains,
Elephants, Second largest population
of black rhinos in Salient and
Northern Aberdares, Queen Elizabeth
learned of her accession to the
throne at Tree-tops, The Kimathi
Hideout, Night viewing of wildlife
at the Ark & Treetops.
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