Mount Longonot National Park. Rising from the floor of the Great Rift Valley like a monolith is the extinct volcano of Mount Longonot. A unique feature is the thick forest that lies within the crater of the mountain. The crater rim also provides great scenic views across the beautiful Rift Valley all the way to Lake Naivasha. Major wildlife attractions at Mount Longonot include buffaloes, elands, lion, leopard, bushbucks, common zebra, giraffe and Grant’s gazelles.
Mount Longonot National Park is located in the southwestern region of Kenya. The national park encompasses an area of 59 square miles (154 sq km).
The national park is only 37.2 miles (60 km) northwest of Nairobi making it easily accessible from the city. It is southeast from Lake Naivasha.
Mount Longonot is a stratovolcano mountain reaching a summit of 9,108 feet (2,776 m). The name of the mountain and park is derived from a Maasai word which translates to “steep ridges,” or “mountains of many spurs.”
A caldera that measures 5 miles by 7.5 miles (8 x 12 km) is located near the top of the mountain. The actual cone of the volcano is topped with another crater that measures 1.12 miles (1.8 km) across.
The crater floor is blanketed with small trees and steam vents can be found along some of the walls of the crater as well.
Although not known for wildlife, it is present. Visitors can hope to see at lower elevations buffalo, giraffe, hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelle, and zebra.
