Mt Longonot National Park
Mt. Longonot
The name Longonot is derived from the Masai word Oloonong'ot meaning mountains of many spurs or steep ridges. Mount Longonot National Park has formed around Mount Longonot, a young dormant volcano. Mount Longonot was created during the volcanic eruptions that formed the Great Rift Valley.
Visitors can travel to the rim of the crater or inside to the bottom. As you climb, you will pass herds of grazing wildlife or watch buffalo and other animals as they cross the crater floor.
Longonot park covers 52 km2 most of it being occupied by Mt. Longonot a young volcano rising to 2,776 meters above sea level. The sides of the mountain have beautiful V-shaped valleys and ridges. The stony soils have little vegetation but the crater has an impenetrable forest.
Climate:
The climate is hot and dry. Mean annual rainfall is between 510 to 760mm. Rainfall reliability is poor and unpredictable. The annual mean maximum temperature is usually between 26 to 30c.
How to get there
Roads:
The park is accessible via tarmac road from Nairobi (90 kms).
Park Roads:
Due to the nature of the terrain Mt Longonot has no roads and visitors hike to the top and rim of the crater.
Major Attractions
Activities within Mount Longonot National Park include hiking, rock climbing, biking and observing birds and wildlife. Extinct volcano and crater forest, Scenic Landscape,Views of Lake Naivasha and the valley itself are not to be missed. Hot springs and steam seep through vents in the solid lava.