Hell’s gate national park is lies within the county of Nakuru at south part of Lake Naivasha and Northwest of the capital city of Kenya. The park is well known for its natural rock towers, flat plains, cliffs and eroded gulleys. The national park was named after a narrow breakdown in the cliffs. It got the name Hell’s gate from explorers Thomson and fisher in the year 1883.
Hell’s Gate National Park occupies 68.5km2 (26 sq mi) and is 6,200 ft (1,900 metres) above sea level. It has two volcanoes namely Hobley’s and Olkaria. It has hot springs of which some points one can get hot rocks.
Hells Gate National park has three geothermal power stations at olkaria. It also includes the hell’s gate gorge, fischer’s tower and central tower columns. It has three main camping sites and also is a Maasai Cultural Center that teaches about maasai traditions and culture.
The park is rich with plains game that includes zebra, hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, lion, cheetah, buffalo, eland, giraffe, baboons, the uncommon Chandlefs mountain reedbuck and leopard. It also has more than 100 birds species among them are Verreaux’s, vultures, eagles, swifts, and augur buzzard.
Some of the main tourists’ attractions are
- Raptors nesting in cliffs,
- Spectacular Gorge walk,
- Fischer’s Tower,
- The Mervyn Carnelley Raptor Hide,
- Tourist circuits,
- picnic sites and nature trails,
- Game drives,
- cycling and hiking,
- The Olkaria Geothermal Station,
- Hot springs
- Central Tower.
