Kora National Park

Kora National Park is located in Tana River County, Kenya. The park covers an area of 1,788 square kilometres. It is located 125 kilometres east of Mount Kenya. The park was initially gazetted as a nature reserve in 1973. It was gazetted as a national park in 1989, following the murder of George Adamson by poachers.
Meru National Park and the Tana River mark 65 kilometres of the park’s northern boundary. Features of the Tana River include Adamson’s Falls, Grand Falls and the Kora rapids. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Mwitamvisi River. The park has several seasonal rivers.
The topography of the park slopes gently from an altitude of 490 m in the south-west to an altitude of about 270m in the north-east. The central area of the park is an undulating peneplain. Basement ridges protrude above the surface of the peneplain as rocky inselbergs, domed hills or hard rocks that rise steeply from the surrounding area. The highest of these inselbergs are Mansumbi (488m), Kumbulanwa (450m) and Kora Rock (442m). The cracks and crevices in the inselbergs have become filled with soil, and a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and small wind-blown trees have become established in them.
There is a wide variety of animal species in the park, including the caracal, cheetah, elephant, genet, hippopotamus, spotted and striped hyenas, leopard, lion, serval, wildcat and several types of antelope. The vegetation in the park is mostly acacia bushland. There are also riverine forests of doum palm and Tana River poplar.
The park had serious problems with poachers in the 1980s and 1990s. George Adamson and two of his assistants were murdered by poachers in the park in 1989. Adamson is buried in the park.
How to get there
Roads: Kora is 280 km to the north-east of Nairobi. Access is via Thika to Mwingi then north-east through Kyuso village. A bridge across the Tana River joins the park with Meru National Park. The park has a road network.
Airstrips: There is an airstrip that is used for reserve’s administration. With another airstrip about 10km away on the eastern side.
Major Attractions
Pristine wilderness, Inselbergs, Tana River with Adamson’s Falls, Grand Falls and Kora rapids, diverse birdlife George Adamson’s grave.
Activities
Game viewing, rock climbing, fishing in River Tana.
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.
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