The Kora National Park was gazetted in 1973 as a reserve and gazetted as a park in 1990. It comprises of an area
of a little over 1,700 square km.
This triangle of dense woodland and scrub is limited along its 65 km northern
boundary by the Tana River, which rises in the highlands between the
Aberdares and Mount Kenya, before commencing its 700 km passage to the
Indian Ocean. The western boundary follows a straight line from Tana
River which a joint boundary with the adjacent Mwingi National Reserve,
while the eastern boundary runs along Mwitamyisi River.
The land
surface slopes gently from an altitude of 490 metres in the south-west
and about 270 metres in the north-east. Central areas comprise an
undulating peneplain through which basement ridges protrude above the
surface as rocky inselbergs the highest of which are Mansumbi 488
metres, Kumbulanwa 450 metres and Kora Rock 442 metres.
The park also
has several seasonal rivers.
Climatic conditions -
Hot and dry with regular rainfall averaging 635-762mm of rain falling
in March-May and November-December. Average temperature range between
24-31°C during the day and 15- 18°C at night.
Major Attraction -
Pristine wilderness, inselbergs, Tana River with Adamson’s Falls, Grand
Falls and Kora rapids, diverse birdlife, George Adamson’s grave.
Wildlife -
Hippo, leopard, lion, caracal and several antelope species.
Access -
Roads: Kora is 280 km to the north-east of Nairobi. Access is via Thika
to Mwingi then northeast through Kyuso village. A bridge across the
Tana River joins the park with Meru National Park.
Airstrips: There is an airstrip that is used for by Reserve’s
administration. Another airstrip is about 10km away on the eastern side.
Accommodation -
There is currently no accommodation in the reserve. Visitors can stay
in the adjacent Meru National Park that has various accommodation
options.
Best time to visit -
All year round
Activities -
Game viewing, rock climbing, fishing in River Tana
|
Game Reserves in Kenya 