This national park was created in 1961 around Lake Nakuru, near Nakuru town. It was best known for its millions of Flamingoes nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognized due to the repeatedly shifting mass of pink. The number of famingoes on the Lake varies with water and food conditions and the best vantage point is from Baboon cliff. Another interest is an area of 188km around the lake fenced off as a sanctuary of protecting giraffes and the black and white Rhinos. The park has been enlarged partly to offer the sanctuary for the black Rhinos. This undertakes necessitated a fence to keep out the poachers rather than to restrict the movement of wildlife. The park extends for 12.1km on the south eastern boundary with the soysambu Conservancy which represents a possible future expansion of the habitant for the Rhinos and the remaining corridor to Lake Naivasha.

The national park has got 25 eastern black Rhinoceros, one of the largest concentrations in the country and about 70 southern white Rhinos. There are also a number of Rothschild’s giraffe, again repositioned for safety from western Kenya beginning in 1977. Waterbuck are very common and both the Kenyan sub species are found here. The predators here include; the east African lions, cheetahs, as well as leopards. The park also has large sized pythons that inhabit the dense woodlands, and can often be seen crossing the roads or floppy from trees. There are bird species found here include; African Fish eagle, Hamerkop, Goliath heron, verreaux’s eagle as well as the pied kingfisher.

How to access the park?

By Road; the park has a tarmac road connection with Nairobi, a distance of 156km North West of Nairobi on the main A104 road. The commonly used route into the park is via the main gate, 4 km from Nakuru town Centre. It’s easy to enter the park from the main Nairobi Nakuru road at Lanet Gate. The Nderit gate is also used by people accessing the park from Masai Mara or Elementaita.

The Airstrips; the Naishi airstrip services the park for tourism and KWS activities.

The park roads; the park has an adequate and well serviced motorable roads that make most parts of the park accessible

The park Gates: The park has three gates,Main gate and Lanet that link the park with the Nairobi- Nakuru highway and the less used Nderit Gate.