Objective
Besides taking a peaceful stroll through a wilderness in the middle of the city, the objective of walking in the Karura hiking trails is to cover the distance marked in the chosen trail.

Trail Description
The Karura hiking trails combine to a total length of 50km. Some of these trails are shared with runners and cyclists and are marked by numbered posts at every junction to make it easy to complete and not wander away from the chosen trail. There are three trails each coded a different colour: Yellow – 5km, blue – 10km, or Green – 15km.  Any of the trails is easy enough for most people to complete but can be made more challenging by increasing the pace or getting lost.

Deviating away from the designated trails or releasing a dog is prohibited.

Start from the gate on Limuru road then follow the marked directions. You can consult and memorise the map at the gate and note the numbers of the milestones that will take you through your trail as well pass particular attractions, e.g caves, waterfall, beehives or you can purchase a map and support the Friends of Karura in its initiative to maintain the forest. The walk to Karura caves and waterfalls is about 6km from this gate and is a popular destination to rest and let the gurgle of the miniature waterfall talk to you.

And in talking to your it might remind you that, the serenity of Karura hinds its resilience in resisting organised and organic affronts into its existence, thegreatest of which was during the dying years of the nyayo kleptocracy that saw bloody confrontations between conservationist and wheeler-dealers who were hell bent to subdivide the forest among themselves. To date it is not clear whether the private land titles issued on Karura were revoked. It now covers an area of 2570 acres.

You will also be thrilled by the constant awareness of some animals around you, most that you can only hear but not see, but occasionally you stumble upon some that scamper away.

Getting There
Despite being so close to the city centre of Nairobi, finding the gate can be difficult. Mainly because not all gates are open on all days and times. The surest way is to target the main gate that is along Limuru road, opposite the Belgian Embassy.

Driving
If driving from the Muthaiga side, you take Limuru Road and turnoff right immediately after crossing the bridge near the Belgian Embassy. Please note that this is a busy highway and therefore allow for ample signalling period.

If using an electronic navigator, put your final destination as Belgian Embassy

Public means
Take matatus to Gigiri, Rwaka or village market (numbers Numbers 11B, 106, 107, 108, 114 or 116 11) and alight at the bridge just after Muthaiga North round about. Please note that there is a road up near Muthaiga north called Karura Road. So be specific to the conductor that you want to alight at the Karura forest gate or just the Belgium Embassy. Also on your way out, be aware that matatus may not stop here to pick passengers, in which case you have to walk five minutes to Muthaiga north shopping centre

Fees

Opening
The forest is open to recreation visitors from 6am to 6pm every day.

Guiding
Friends of Karura – Ksh 300 per 2 hrs.

Other facilities
Picnicking – sh100 per person
Lawn tennis, restaurant, field
Maps at sh500

Objective

The objective of the hiker on the Kijabe hill – Nathan hill hiking trail is to traverse the section between Mai-Mahiu town and Magina town. It involves reaching the peak of Kijabe hill (2400masl), traversing the old-Kijabe town saddle, then scaling the Nathan hill.

Description

The hike, a combination of Kijabe hill trail and Nathan hill trail, starts 9km from Mai Mahiu, almost halfway to Longonot town. The starting altitude is 2010m a.s.l. and you set off in a northerly direction walking up a gentle incline. The first one hour is silence inducing as hikers figure out their pace up till the railway line where you wheel right and continue north east to the peak of Kijabe hill at 2659m a.s.l. The total walking distance is about 3.2 km and takes 3 to four hours.

A brief rest as you soak in the beauty of the surrounding terrain and reflect on the wonders that created the IDP camp down below. You then walk eastwards down the hill for an hour and stop for lunch under the shades of some giant euphorbia tress.

After lunch you proceed eastwards, cross the railway and approach the sleepy, desolate and almost abandoned old-Kijabe town. The shops at this once vibrant town provide a good place to replenish your water.

Thereafter the trail is mostly flat for almost an hour. Some sections of the hiking trail will be on the road but mostly others will be through forest passing many thickets that are inviting as picnic sites.  The trail changes to a gentle climb through thick forest as you approach the Kijabe mission town until you get into it through some back gates near the mission hospital.

The Eastern escarpment of the Great Rift valley starts to get serious steep and as you  exit Kijabe town at the Wathing’ito bridge. You trek throughhuman settlements, learn a bit of local stuff, take many right-angle corners until you think you are lost. Like many a hike the final stretch is the most demanding. Nathan hill is a steep incline about 200 metres a long that at first looks easy to scale until your start. You walk and walk and the hill never seems to come to an end.

Weather allowing you will be treated to a spectacular sunset on the escarpment before heading to Magina for goat engine soup and Mutura.

Fees

Guide fee

Guiding

Local Community

Objective
The objective of the hiker is to hike to the summit of Mt. Longonot at 2780masl, then proceed round the crater rim and back to the gate.

Description:
The trail is a short 3.1 km to the rim or 5km trek to the summit. However it is strenuous and may take half-day to trek on account of the loose scree, soil, dust and the steep gradient. This hike is suitable for both a group and a lone hiker. The hike starts at the park gate around 2,150masl. After payment and registration, you then walk on fairly flat ground often with zebras, hogs and other grazers and browsers watching you from a distance, then past the campsite where the climb begins. At first, the climb is a gentle incline that nonetheless takes a toll on your muscles and chest as they try to acclimatise and as you find you pace. This gentle climb goes on for some thirty to forty minutes until you get to the concrete steps where the gradient changes dramatically and the heavy lifting starts. After the concrete steps you arrive at the first hut for a rest.

You then proceed eastwards through the thicket cover, a gentle easy going uphill slope that gradually increases in gradient until you get to the next hut at the rim of the crater. The picturesque caldera invites you to take photos all your labours all forgotten. A short rest is advisable before launching your attempt for the summit. You can either opt approach the summit in a clockwise (5.3km) or counter-clockwise (1.9 km) direction. The circumference of the rim is 7.2km. Whichever way you chose it is a scramble through loose soil that frustrates your every move aided by sharp assents and false peaks.

At the summit you take a well-earned rest as you get treated to the vast open country all around you including the dots of the vehicles snaking their way down and up the escarpment. You may then opt to go down the way you came or walk round the crater rim to the hut and down to the gate.

Options: As mentioned above, the normal Longonot hike is a short 3 hours. This can leave you feeling like your day wasn’t full enough. In the this case you may want to pep up your hike by considering one or both of these two additional objectives

1. Secondary crater – Take the sign posted detour near the hut at the rim of the crater. The trails is quite discernible at the beginning but virtually disappears within five minutes of walking  and you start some serious bushwhacking through treacherous terrain with fairly deep ravines.
2. Crater floor – Walking anticlockwise from the hut at the rim of the crater, look out for the sign post to the crater entry point. It is about half kilometre down the cliffs to the base. You may want to do a bit of exploring there e.g. to the hot vents and the strange lock formations

Fees:
The park is managed by Kenya wildlife service and there KWS park regulations and fees apply. At the time of writing these are the charges

Adult
Resident
Non residents – $20

Children – –
Resident –
Non resident –

Guiding:
Guiding is not necessary at mt. Longonot unless you will be going off the beaten track. However enterprising locals will still entice you into. Decide for yourself whether you need a guide. The walking sticks hired by the guides may come in handy though.

Getting there
Driving: Drive to Mai-Mahiu town a town 70km from Nairobi. From Mai-mahiu drive nine kilometres towards Naivasha, until you see the Mt.Longonot National park sign post. Turn into this road and drive on 4 kilometres to the park gate.

Public means:
Take a Matatu to Mai-Mahiu from Nyamakima (off River road. Fare is about 150). At Mai Mahiu board a matatu bound for Naivasha and alight at Mt. Longonot National park turn off. Walk the four kilometres to the gate. Alternatively, if you are in a group, it maybe cost effective to hire a seven seater matatu or taxi from Mai-Mahiu to the park gate. Other alternative is to ride on a boda-boda

The objective of the hiker is to trek up the Menengai hill, then down into the caldera (considered to be one of the largest in the world) up to the floor, and then back up.

This hike has some turnkey options that can be plugged in to make the hike more interesting to the Kenya’s outdoors lover. Whatever the case, it is a good day hike for anyone visiting Nakuru. Menengai hill lies just outside Nakuru town in the Rift Valley of Kenya. That makes it readily accessible by road from any part of Kenya.

Option 1: Nairobi-Nakuru highway to Menengai floor.

Hikers start from Nakuru town, walk 8 kilometres uphill through the posh Milimani estate, past the peri-urban settlements and on to the forest gate. After registration, payment and a brether, the trek is on again. Following the same motorable meandering path, the hiker goes through some thinly forested areas up to the rim of the crater. After a shot rest at the rim taking mementos and absorbing awe of mother nature, it is time for the final assault of the trail. It weaves steeply down into the caldera forcing a semi run.

Once down at the base, there is the option of hiking backup the way you came. This is the common option.

But the more adventurous ones will experience the thrill of scaling the Menengai cliff where demons are said to float in the air at certain times of day.

Whatever you route back up to the rim, a brief rest is in order before starting your trek back into town.

Option 2: Forest gate to Menengai floor

In case one is not sure about the fitness or time does not allow, the hike can be shortened by driving to the forest gate and walking from there.

Option 3: Option 3: Menengai Rim Menengai floor.

Yet another option is drive all the way to the rim and hike into the crater. It is a steep and short hike that is quite treacherous. Energy is spent going downhill only to realise there is still a journey back up to be had. This version of the hike is less than 1 hour. If you have a day reserved for outdoors it might be good to include other items in your itinerary. Hyrax hill museum just right down the hill is a good place to consider or a picnic with the white rhinos at lake Nakuru.

Getting There

Public means:
From Nairobi, take the fourteen or seven seater Nakuru matatus at Nyamakima Stage off River Road. Unless you have something to do deep into Nakuru, alight somewhere near state house, Nakuru to launch your hike from across the road.

In case your preferred hike is option2 or option 3, once in Nakuru, you’ll need to hire a taxi or matatu to take you to the Menengai Crater viewpoint, do your thing and take your transport back

Driving: Use either the mai-mahiu road or the Kimende roads to Naivasha on wards to Nakuru. From the Nakuru Railway Station, drive towards Nairobi and take the first left turn after the railway underpass. Watch for the signposts to Menengai Crater until the forest gate for payment and registration

Fees:
This conservancy facility falls under KFS. They charges a recreation fee

Resident Adults – Ksh 200
Non resident Adult –

This hiking trail is in Kajido county but near Nairobi. The hikers objective is to climb Ngong hills, (notice the plural in its name. It is so named because it is a series of hills forming what looks from a distance like knuckles of a clenched fist), all the seven hills of it with each peak a little higher than the next and end up either back at the starting point or traverse to the other side. This hike is suitable for beginners as one can turn back at any point on the trail. The walk is through a gazetted forest reserve under the Kenya forest Service with the highest peak rising to 2460m above sea level.

Route Description
Option one – Return: The hike starts from Ngong town at the northern foot of the hill at elevation of 1960m above sea level. You eastwards on the road leading to the government offices upto the Oloolaiser secondary turn off and right turn just after the police station. The first section, about 2km long to the forest gate, is take n through a motorable road, passing through settlements. At the gate you register with KFS as you take a water break and continue with the same gentle ascent, through light forest, open grass fields and the windmill farm until you get to the road head. Walk past the pilots beacon that marks the beginning of the landing aeroplanes glide path to JKIA.

Follow the footpath into the grasslands as it drops and rises one false peak after another. All along the way expect a fantastic view of the expansive floor of the Great Rift Valley, that contrasts sharply with the bird’s eye view of the Nairobi city. After three or so false peaks the trail leads into a forest area that is awe inspiring in its silence. Tread carefully listening for buffalos until the peak.

You may lunch or snack at the peak as you grab a well-deserved rest. From here you walk back to the gate and on ward to Ngong town through the same trail.

Option two – Traverse: Take the hike as in option one until you get to the peak. Rest briefly at the peak then walk on following the trail towards to the open grasslands. A good place to rest is the open fields with the view of ole Sekut hills, ole polos country club, and magadi snaking down below. From there is downhill all the way to kona baridi.

Getting There

Public means: Take bus number 111 to Ngong town from the Railways terminus.  If you intend to start your trek from Ngong town, then you are good to go. But in case you prefer to start the trek at the sanctuary gate, hire a boda-boda, taxi or tuk-tuk to take you to the gate.

For the two way hike then you will return to this starting point. For the transverse hike, take matatus from kona baridi to Kiserian and onward to Nairobi through Rongai or Ngong.

Driving: Drive to Ngong town and park within the parking lots of Ngong town (the parking is charged on weekdays). Alternatively you can drive to the sanctuary gate and park there.

In case of traverse hike arrange for someone to drive your car to Kona Baridi allowing for 4-5 hours hike time.

Other Attractions:

Other attractions a group can combine with this hike are

Picnicking at Ngong hills
Roast meat at Ole polos
Swimming at Ole tepesi
Swimming at Ole polos
Swimming at Jordan breeze

Entry fee

The entry fee is paid to to Kenya Forest Service officers at the gate.

Adult – Ksh 200

Escort: Incidents of criminals  robbing valuables from small groups or isolated individuals have been reported on these hills. It is therefore advisable to take armed escort from KFS rangers or Administration police before leaving Ngong town if you are in a small party.