Boasting of being one of only two Premium parks in Kenya, Lake Nakuru National park is located in Nakuru County and it surrounds Lake Nakuru. The park is well known as bird watchers paradise as it hosts over 450 bird species including five globally threatened species. The park is also known to be the first rhino sanctuary in Kenya and is home to one of the largest population of black rhinos.
The park is located in Nakuru town which is a busy metropolis with plans to upgrade it into a city thus having a variety of inhabitants around the park, although the region initially was occupied by the Kikuyu community who were well known as Agriculturalist.
A safe haven for bird watchers, lake Nakuru National park boasts of over 450 species of birds which can be easily spotted within the park. It boasts of birds such as the, Abyssinian thrush, Arrow-marked babbler, Bateleur, Black-tailed godwit, Black-winged lapwing, Brimstone canary, Brown-backed scrub robin, Crab-plover, Eastern imperial eagle, European roller, Grey crowned crane, Grey-headed, woodpecker, Great snipe, Greater spotted eagle, Grey-crested helmet-shrike (NE), Hildebrandt’s starling, Kenya rufous sparrow and Lappet-faced vulture
Surrounded by the park lake Nakuru covers an area of 45 square kilometers and is located in the rift valley hence it being a salty water lake. The lake is a common place in the park as you can easily spot different species of birds and wild animals who come to the lake to quench their thirst and others to hunt.
Located in the southern end of the park, Makalia falls is a spectacle to view and a great sight for photography as the falls emerge from the Makalia River.
A variety of mammals call Lake Nakuru National park Home with the presence of the big animals with the exception of the elephant. With over 56 species of mammals and being one of the few places in Kenya with the most concentrated population of black rhinos
The warm season lasts for 1.9 months, from January 27 to March 23, with an average daily high temperature above 81°F. The hottest month of the year in Nakuru is February, with an average high of 82°F and low of 54°F.
The cool season lasts for 3.7 months, from May 8 to August 30, with an average daily high temperature below 76°F. The coldest month of the year in Nakuru is July, with an average low of 54°F and high of 74°F.
In Nakuru, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year. The clearer part of the year in Nakuru begins around July 3 and lasts for 3.3 months, ending around October 13. The clearest month of the year in Nakuru is September, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 41% of the time. The cloudier part of the year begins around October 13 and lasts for 8.7 months, ending around July 3. The cloudiest month of the year in Nakuru is April, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 82% of the time.
Nakuru experiences extreme seasonal variation in monthly rainfall. Rain falls throughout the year in Nakuru. The month with the most rain in Nakuru is April, with an average rainfall of 5.8 inches. The month with the least rain in Nakuru is February, with an average rainfall of 1.3 inches.
The earliest sunrise is at 6:15 AM on November 4, and the latest sunrise is 31 minutes later at 6:46 AM on February 11. The earliest sunset is at 6:23 PM on November 2, and the latest sunset is 31 minutes later at 6:53 PM on February 10.
