Mount Longonot National Park
Rising from the floor of the Great Rift Valley like a monolith is the extinct volcano of Mount Longonot. It is one of the shapeliest peaks in all the Rift Valley, Mt Longonot (2776m) and its serrated crater rim offer great scenic views across the beautiful Rift Valley all the way to Lake Naivasha. The dormant volcano rises 1000m above the baking-hot valley floor and was formed 400,000 years ago; it last erupted in the 1860s. The park itself covers only 52 sq km, and was set up to protect the volcano’s ecosystem and little else. The name ‘Longonot’ comes from the Maasai name Olo Nongot, which means ‘Mountain of Many Summits’.
A unique feature is the thick forest that lies within the crater of the mountain. Major wildlife attractions at Mount Longonot include buffaloes, elands, lion, leopard, bushbucks, common zebra, giraffe and Grant’s gazelles.
Activities include: hiking, bird watching, game viewing and viewing the great rift valley and Lake Naivasha from the crater.