Awash National Park

Awash is one of the oldest national parks in Ethiopia, covering savanna and semi-desert where the Awash river cuts a gorge and drops over the Awash falls, with the crater of Fantale rising to over 2,000 metres at the northern edge and hot springs at Filwoha in the Afar lowlands beyond. Wildlife is dryland: beisa oryx, Soemmerring's gazelle, greater and lesser kudu, warthog, olive baboon and hamadryas baboon, with the two baboon species meeting in this area, and a bird list of over four hundred species. Large predators are scarce. The park sits directly on the main road and railway east, so it is the easiest savanna park to reach from Addis Ababa, though grazing pressure inside is significant and visible.

History

Awash National Park was established in 1966, though the act authorising it was not fully passed until three years later. It covers 827 km² on the border of the Oromia and Afar regions, most of it at an altitude of about 900 m, some 225 km east of Addis Ababa, and its climate brings a dry season that can last up to 10 months (Wikipedia, Awash National Park).

The landscape

• The Awash falls and gorge - the river dropping into a cut gorge.
• Beisa oryx and kudu - the dryland antelope of the savanna.
• Hamadryas baboons - the desert baboon at the edge of its range.
• Fantale volcano - the crater rising at the park's northern edge.

When to go

October to March for comfortable temperatures; the lowlands are severely hot from March to May. Early morning and late afternoon for wildlife. The road east is good, so this works as a two-day trip from the capital.

Things to know

Livestock grazing inside the park is heavy and affects both the habitat and the wildlife you see. Predators are effectively absent. The lodge above the falls has been variable in standard. A scout is compulsory. The main road and railway cut through, so it is not a wilderness.

Nearby

Metehara lies west; the Afar lowlands and Filwoha springs are north.

Key facts