Hells Gate National Park, Kenya – Your Ultimate Guide
Hells Gate National park is a popular tourist destination and a unique national park in Kenya. Visitors are drawn to the park’s beauty, thrilling activities, gorgeous gorges, and the landscape in general. Several Hollywood movies have been filmed in Hells Gate.
If you are in Kenya and trying to determine if it’s worth visiting, this guide will provide all the answers and hopefully inspire you to add it to your itinerary.
Quick facts about Hells Gate National Park
- The park’s upper landscape inspired the animated movie “Lion King”
- The 2003 movie “Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life” featuring Angelina Jolie was filmed in different parts of the park including the lower gorges.
- It’s the only national park in Kenya where visitors can ride bikes and interact with free-roaming wildlife.
- It’s the only national park in Kenya with a geothermal spa.
Where is Hells Gate National Park located in Kenya
The park is situated in Nakuru county, south of Lake Naivasha and northwest of Nairobi city. It’s also very close to other major attractions such as Lake Nakuru National Park, Mount Longonot, and Maasai Mara.
The park is easily accessible from the main highway making it convenient for all travelers. Whether you are self-driving or using public transportation, you can easily get to the park.
How to Get to hells gate National Park
If you are self-driving, a GPS will lead you straight to the park’s entrance. It’s very difficult to get lost and you can always ask other motorists or locals to direct you.
One way you can get to the park when self-driving is using the truck-only lower route (old Naivasha road). Along this route, you can stop by the tiniest Catholic church built by Italian POWs during world war II. The church blends effortlessly into the cliffs and can only fit 4 people at a time. Keep driving past Longonot and Karagita towns until you get to the Moi South Lake Road and make a left turn. Keep diving south past the large horticultural farms till you reach the Elsa Gate intersection and turn left again.
The second option is driving on the upper escarpment road heading to Nakuru. This out has the best views of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Naivasha, and Mount Longonot. If time allows, stop by the viewpoint and take in the scenic views and some photos.
When using this second route, you will want to branch off at the Naivasha exit. Drive through Naivasha town and make your way to the old Naivasha road. Once you get to Moi South Lake Road, turn left and continue as discussed above.
If using public transport, board a direct matatu from Nairobi to Naivasha town. These can be found at the Nyamakima stage off River Road or Tea-Room stage along Accra Road. (make sure it’s an express matatu to avoid time wasting stops on the road). Once you get to Naivasha town board a matatu to Lake Naivasha and ask the conductor or driver to drop you off at the KWS intersection to Hells Gate. From this point, the park’s gate is a 2km walking distance.
Why is Hells Gate famous?
Hells Gate is famous for its dramatic gorges (Ol Njorowa gorge), unique scenery, geothermal spa, and bike riding very close to wildlife.
The Ol Njorowa gorge was a film set for Angelina Jolies’ movie Tomb Raider: Cradle of life in 2003. The picturesque gorge is a 24 km trek with bubbling hot springs flowing from one point in the gorge known as the devil’s kitchen. The beautiful gorge formed from years of water erosion leaving behind high walls with beautiful patterns, caves, and trekking routes.
Hiking through the lower gorge comes with some risks, especially during the rainy season. Flash floods have claimed lives in the past. The last flash flood accident happened in 2019 and this part of the park remains closed to date (2023). I will update you when it’s open.
In addition to these top attractions, Hells Gate has a breathtaking landscape that has inspired many Holywood movies. It’s a popular day trip destination and famous for rock climbing at Fisches Tower.
How much does it cost to go to Hells Gate?
Entry into the park for tourists is $26 for adults and $17 and children. residents can access the park for Ksh 600 (adults) and Ksh 300 for children.
Other changes include car parking fees which vary depending on the car seats. Parking a small personal car with 6 seats only costs $3. If you are camping then expect to pay a camping fee per night. Activities such as biking and rock climbing are charged separately.
If traveling solo and using public transportation from Nairobi, set a budget of about $60 for transport money, park entry, snacks, and biking.
What can you see at Hells Gate?
At the Hells Gate National Park, you can see different wildlife including giraffes, zebras, augur buzzards, klipspringer antelope, African buffalos, Verreaux’s eagles, Chandler’s mountain reedbuck, Thomson’s gazelles among others.
Other attractions include towering cliffs, raptor nesting cliffs, hot springs, scrub-clad volcanoes, breathtaking scenery, over 100 bird species, and plumes of geothermal steam rising from the ground.
Read More: Activities in Hells Gate Naivasha – 7+ Fun Things to Do
Are there lions in Hells Gate?
The probability of you spotting lions in Hells Gate is very small, especially in the recreation areas. While the park did inspire the animated movie the Lion King, you won’t see any while riding your bike.
A few predators can be spotted when on a game drive in the protected part of the park which is accessible by car.
Can you drive through Hells Gate?
Yes, you can drive through Hells Gate National Park. The park is pretty small (68.25 square km) compared to other national parks in Kenya.
The all-weather roads inside the park are well-maintained and suitable for all cars including small ones. However, for a more comfortable safari, I would recommend using a 4-by-4 especially if you want to explore the protected park area. If you only want access to the recreational area, then any vehicle is okay.
Hells gate is one of the few parks in Kenya you can dive through even without a guide. The roads are clearly marked out making it easy for visitors to explore. Compared to other parks such as Maasai Mara where it’s easy to get lost in the vast landscape, this is a simple and easy dive.
Do you need a guide for Hells Gate?
You only need a guide to explore the lower gorge of the park. For all other activities, you don’t need a guide since everything is self-explanatory.
A guide leads you through the right path and gives you some history behind the gorges. During the hike, the guide will also show you the spots where different movies were filmed among many other attractions. Most importantly, guides help you get out of the gorges and trek back to your vehicle.
The biking trials are right by the Fischers tower and all the other towering rocks. However, if you need a guide or instructor for rock climbing or game driving, you can hire one.
is Hells Gate Safe?
Yes, Hells Gate National Park is very safe for tourists and locals. Everyone inside must pass a security check at the gate before gaining access. There are no conmen or petty thieves inside the park.
Guides and rock climbing instructors are all vetted and well-known by the other park employees. In case you have a complaint against one you can approach a park ranger.
Since tourism is a major source of income for the country, the government invests heavily in the security of the parks. If you are camping in Hells Gate, you can relax as the camping site is far away from the protected park area where you can expect to find some predators.
Is Hells Gate worth visiting?
Absolutely, Hells Gate is worth visiting, if looking for a unique and affordable safari experience, then this is a must-visit park. The next time you are in Kenya spare one day and visit this amazing park.
Its ideal location makes it a perfect stopover point when visiting Maasai Mara or when going to Nakuru. In addition, it’s located along Lake Naivasha which has many resorts, and camping sites perfect for all budgets.
You can camp for two nights along Lake Naivasha, visit Hells Gate then proceed to Maasai Mara or simply plan a day trip from Nairobi.
Parting Words
In this guide, I’ve gone over any questions you may have about Hells Gate National park in Kenya. While the lower gorge remains closed, there are still many other activities to engage in and have fun with friends.
This unique park gives you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride a bike right next to giraffes and zebras grazing in the savanna grasslands. Highly recommended bucket list experience in Kenya.
