​Overview – Marsabit NP

Anthony Ham
Expert
By Anthony Ham

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Kenya.

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Lonely Planet guide to Kenya.

Anthony is the author of the Lonely Planet guide to Kenya.

Marsabit National Park is in northern Kenya, a part of the country that will only appeal to the intrepid, adventurous traveler. Anybody traveling this far north will find a stopover in this little-visited park very worthwhile. Its wildlife-viewing centerpiece is a forest-fringed crater lake overlooked by Marsabit Lodge. Elephants (relatives of Ahmed, a former big tusker that received ‘presidential protection’ in his day) pass by the lake daily.

Best Time To Go June to September and January to February
High Season December to March and July to October (Not busy)
Size 1,554km² / 600mi²
Altitude 483-1,513m / 1,585-4,964ft

Pros & Cons

  • Untouristy, little-visited park
  • Beautiful crater lakes in dense forest
  • Magical elephant encounters in front of Marsabit Lodge
  • Excellent birding
  • Only one very run-down lodge
  • Human encroachment
  • Only one short game-drive track
  • Very hot climate

Marsabit NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Wildlife

The dense forest of the park and lack of facilities and tracks make wildlife viewing very challenging, but a visit to the lodge in the late afternoon is a great way to catch the elephants on their daily walk around the crater lake. The elephants here are renowned for their big tusks. Other animals present, but rarely seen, include lion, leopard and buffalo.

Scenery

The densely forested Mt Marsabit is a fine example of a basalt shield volcano. The mountain is peppered with extinct volcanic craters, known as gofs (the name given to them by the local Borana people). The craters are lined with stands of juniper. Scenic Gof Sokorte Dika lies immediately in front of Marsabit Lodge.

Weather & Climate

The range of landscapes in this park means there’s a lot of variation in altitude. This, in turn, means the temperature can change a lot too, dropping 6.5°C/3.5°F for every 1,000m/1,000ft you ascend. Generally, though, it stays hot here, certainly in the Dry season (June to September), but even more so in the heart of the Wet season (October to May).

Best Time To Visit

To see animals out in the open, visit in the drier months when there’s a virtual parade of beasts at the crater lakes: June to September, and again in January and February, are the best months for wildlife viewing. Animals roam more widely (and often beyond the park) when the park is wet, and those that stay can easily disappear into the dense vegetation. So, the wetter seasons (October to December and March to May) are not the best times to strap on your binoculars – unless birds are your priority, that is.

Want To Visit Marsabit NP?

Marsabit Operators

Marsabit NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Stuart Butler  –  
United Kingdom UK

Stuart is a travel writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including 'Kenya', 'Rwanda' and 'Tanzania'.

Island in the Sky
3/5

Even with the new tarmac road that currently extends halfway to Marsabit from Isiolo and the Samburu National Reserve area, travelling to Marsabit, in the far north of Kenya, is a long, bumpy and hot bounce through semi-desert acacia scrub...

Full Review

Latest User Review
Jayesh Saini Kenya (JSK)  –  
United Kingdom UK
Reviewed: May 7, 2021
5/5

Clean and tidy location

Full Review