Khenifra National Park

The park was declared in 2008 over about 84,000 hectares of the central Middle Atlas above Khenifra and protects a mix that is disappearing elsewhere: Atlas cedar and holm oak forest, the karst lakes of the plateau including Azigza and Ouiouane, the headwaters of the Oum er-Rbia river, and the Barbary macaque, which is endangered and whose Middle Atlas population has fallen steeply through habitat loss, drought and the illegal trade in infants. What makes this park more useful than the Ifrane roadside is that the macaques here are less habituated, so seeing them means walking in the forest early rather than parking at a lay-by. The Oum er-Rbia springs, where about forty separate sources emerge from a cliff face and combine into Morocco's largest river, are on the park's edge and are the most visited spot within it.

What you actually see

• Atlas cedar in depth - 84,000 hectares of cedar and holm oak on the plateau.
• Karst lakes - Azigza, Ouiouane and others within the park boundary.
• Less habituated macaques - troops that must be walked to rather than fed at a lay-by.
• The Oum er-Rbia springs - about forty sources emerging from a cliff to form the river.

When to go

Spring and autumn. A day or two. Early morning for macaques.

Honest expectations

The park has minimal infrastructure - few marked trails and little signage. A car and preferably a local guide are needed. Macaque sightings take effort and are not guaranteed. Do not feed them anywhere.

Nearby

Khenifra is west; the Oum er-Rbia springs are on the northern edge.