Hell's Gate National Park

Hell's Gate is unusual among Kenyan parks because there are no lion or elephant in it, which means you are allowed out of the vehicle. The standard visit is to hire a bicycle at the gate and ride the track between red cliffs, past Fischer's Tower and the Central Tower volcanic plugs, with zebra, giraffe, buffalo and warthog grazing in the open beside you. At the far end, Ol Njorowa gorge drops into a narrow slot of water-carved rock with hot springs seeping from the walls, walked with a local guide. Steam rises across the valley from the geothermal power stations that tap the same heat, an industrial presence that sits oddly in a national park and is very much part of the view.

History

The park is named after a narrow break in the cliffs, once a channel of a prehistoric lake that fed early humans in the Rift Valley, and the explorers Gustav Fischer and Joseph Thomson gave it the name Hell's Gate during their rival expeditions of 1883 (Wikipedia, Hell's Gate National Park).

What you'll find

• Cycling the main track - riding among plains game between the cliffs.
• Fischer's Tower - a volcanic plug at the gate, popular with rock climbers.
• Ol Njorowa gorge - the narrow slot canyon with hot springs, guided descent.
• Geothermal steam fields - vents and power stations venting across the valley floor.

When to go

The drier months, June to October and January to February, when the gorge is safest. Start early: the valley is hot and shadeless by midday, and afternoon storms can flood the gorge.

Before you go

Flash flooding in the gorge is a genuine and documented danger; do not enter without a guide or when rain is forecast anywhere upstream. Hire bicycles are often in poor condition, so check the brakes. The geothermal plants, pipelines and power lines disappoint visitors expecting untouched wilderness.

Nearby

Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island are minutes away; Lake Nakuru is further north.

Key facts