Western Area Peninsula National Park

The Western Area Peninsula park protects the forested hills that run down the peninsula behind Freetown, a block of rainforest immediately beside a capital city, which is unusual anywhere. Chimpanzees, duiker and a long list of forest birds live in it, and the Tacugama sanctuary sits within its boundary. Trails climb from the coast road and from the city edge up onto the ridge. The park covers around seventeen thousand hectares, most of it steep ground that was never cleared.

What you actually see

• The rainforest - a forest block directly behind a capital city.
• The ridge trails - routes climbing from the coast and the city edge.
• The chimpanzees - the wild population in the forest.
• The forest birds - the long list the peninsula carries.

When to go

November to April is the dry season and the trails are manageable. The rains from May to October are very heavy. Early morning is best for wildlife.

Honest expectations

Encroachment and building on the forest edge is heavy and continuing. Trail marking is poor and a guide is advisable. Wildlife is heard far more often than seen.

Nearby

Tacugama is within it, and Freetown is north.