Hell’s Gate National Park is an unusual Kenyan park created for cycling and wandering on foot. It’s arid, sandy, and dramatic, yet eternally quiet. Because large carnivores are uncommon, you may ride by grazing zebras and bison, find rock hyraxes or klipspringers clambering up inclines, and watch dust clouds whirl in the breeze. 

The park’s rich ochre soils and savannah grasses, packed between massive cliffs of orange columnar basalt, are all aglow in the early dawn. It has a surreal sense due to the calm breeze moving between the granite formations. This park is a fantastic area for silent meditation outside of the noon heat, and there are plenty of wonderful picnic areas as well.

This little park near Lake Naivasha has a good diversity of plain animals, although most flagship species are lacking. The landscape, which includes spectacular sandstone cliffs and volcanic outcrops, is more appealing. 

FUN ACTIVITIES 

• Hiking and mountain riding.

Hell’s Gate isn’t the tone of the Big Five destinations. There are no harmful animals other than buffalo,
making walking and cycling good sports. The principal grazers include Burchell’s zebra, Cokes hartebeest, Thomsons, Grants gazelle, and impala. Giraffes and defassa waterbuck can also be found. You can see Olive baboons everywhere along the cliffs. Vultures, Verreaux’s eagles, augur buzzards, and swifts are among the park’s nearly 103 bird species. In addition, the park is also home to the serval, klipspringer antelope, and Chanler’s mountain reedbuck in limited quantities.

You can also see in the park the simple-looking one of the rarest antelope species found in the area is Chanler’s mountain reedbuck small antelopes like Kirks dik-dik and steenbok. Predators are difficult to observe, but the cheetah is there, spotted hyena, and black-backed jackal is at dusk. Lucky tourists may also come across the exquisite serval.

Notably, the central scene of the 1994 film The Lion King is primarily modeled after the park, where several crew members of the film visited the park to learn and get an understanding of the environment for the film. This park was also the setting for the 2003 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-The Cradle of Life. Another great African national park is the Obudu Mountain Resort.

 

• Olkaria Geothermal Power Station

At Olkaria, the national park also has three geothermal power units. There are three basic campsites in the park, as well as a Maasai Cultural Center that teaches about the Maasai tribes history and traditions.

The Olkaria Geothermal Station, Africas first of its type, was built in 1981 to generate geothermal energy from the area’s hot springs and geysers underneath Hell’s Gate. After 2000 three new geothermal stations were built: Olkaria II, Olkaria III, and Olkaria IV. Olkaria V, a 140MW power station, began construction in 2017 and went operational in 2019. As of 2019, a large portion of Hells Gate National Park is now an industrial zone with several pipelines, power plants, and busy tarmac roads.

 

• Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Hells Gate is open all year for hiking and cycling, but the best time to see wildlife is during the dry months of June to October when the grass is short. On the other hand, the scenery is breathtaking during the rainy season, which runs from November to May. Here are the reasons why it is preferable to visit in the dry season.

Scenery:
The spectacular scenery of Hells Gate National Park is its primary draw. The name is a reference to the park’s steep-sided valley. Dormant volcanoes and many old lava plugs rise from the valley floor, dominating the volcanic environment.

Weather and Climate:
The dry season (June to October) is known for its clear skies, while the wet season (November to May) is known for its afternoon rain. Hells Gate has a climate comparable to places like The Great Barrier Reef in Australia and other sites around the equator in that temperatures are very stable throughout the year. Its height, which is high enough to give the air a distinct chill, particularly at night, is what sets it apart.

 

Things to Do:

• Appreciate the local Fauna

This is one of the rare parks where people may ride their bikes or walk across the grounds to watch the animals. Giraffes, zebra, buffalo, Thomson’s gazelle, and other antelopes can be seen. Birdwatchers will like this place as well. There are no harmful creatures in this park other than African, but it’s still a good idea to be cautious when roaming about inside. 

• Cycle through the park

Bicyclists may ride around and inside the park, passing past zebras and giraffes along the route. Taking a
bicycle inside costs KSH 200, while renting a bike costs between KSH 1,000 and KSH 1,500. Although you can rent a bike at the intersection just before the entrance. They may want more money, but you can typically haggle to bring it down to a reasonable amount. Bhutan is another great place to enjoy Cycling. 

• Visit the Gorges

If you want to stroll or cycle about the park, you don’t need a guide, but if you’re going to walk into the
water-gouged gorges, you will need one. This is one of the most thrilling activities in the park, but it is also
one of the most dangerous. If one chooses to visit, they should exercise caution and hire a guide.
However visitors pass through the gorges by Maasai natives who serve as guides.

• Hike, climb or walk the canyons.

Although there are fewer animals to see in this park than in some of Kenya’s other parks, it makes up for it with mountain climbing, camping, walking, and canyon walking. While going around the canyon, visitors can do some walking. Sandstone cliffs rise to 30 meters high in specific locations. 

Indeed,  the views of the gorge from these high vantage points are breathtaking, hiking there is difficult and dangerous. The descents are slick and steep, so hikers should hire a professional guide. Mountain climbing is available in several locations. Fischer’s Tower is a fantastic location for mountain climbers. The climb is not challenging, but one must be physically fit and experienced to take on the task. Climbers with intermediate capabilities will like this cliff. Of course, they’ll need the right tools and instruction.

• Visit the hot springs

In the gorge, visitors may swim in hot springs and view a little waterfall. What a one-of-a-kind and
refreshing experience.

• Camping overnight

Camping in the park is a fantastic idea, and many guests do so. Visitors need to provide their own
camping equipment and firewood, so keep that in mind if you want to camp there.

 

Hell’s Gate Park Risks and Precautions:

While exploring Hells Gate, keep the following in mind:

• Going there during the rainy season is a significant no-no since the potential of flash floods is relatively high.
• Going there without a trained guide is not a safe option unless you only plan on walking and cycling.
• Hikers and climbers must navigate steep and slick ascents and descents, which only guides are trained to do safely. There are just a few emergency exits that a guide can rapidly identify.
• To climb there, one must be physically fit.

 

Park hours and Entry Fees:

Hells Gate is available to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the entrance, one must
show a valid ID. Hells Gate National Park Entry Fees The entry fee is reasonably low; adults nonresidents will pay $25 while children pay $20

 

How to Get There:

Hell’s Gate National Park is around 90 kilometres from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. JKIA Nairobi. 

The National Parks Gallery: