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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

Flash flooding in the gorge is a genuine and documented danger, and it has killed people; 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.