Lake Nakuru National Park occupies 188 square kilometers within the floor of the Great Rift Valley, approximately 160 kilometers northwest of Nairobi in Nakuru County. The park encompasses Lake Nakuru itself—a shallow, alkaline soda lake—along with surrounding woodland, grassland, and rocky cliffs that form a self-contained ecosystem of remarkable biodiversity.
The Great Rift Valley, formed by tectonic plate movements over millions of years, created the geological depression that now contains Lake Nakuru. The lake sits at an elevation of approximately 1,754 meters above sea level, surrounded by euphorbia-forested cliffs and rocky escarpments that rise to over 500 meters above the water surface. This topographical variation creates distinct ecological zones within a relatively compact area, ranging from aquatic and wetland habitats to dry acacia woodland and rocky outcrops.
Lake Nakuru’s defining characteristic is its alkalinity, with pH levels ranging from 9 to 10.5 depending on seasonal variations and water volume. This extreme alkalinity results from the lake’s endorheic nature—it has no natural outlet, causing minerals to concentrate through evaporation. The high concentration of sodium carbonate and other dissolved salts creates conditions inhospitable to most fish species but ideal for specialized algae, particularly Arthrospira platensis (formerly Spirulina platensis), a cyanobacterium that forms the foundation of the lake’s food web.
The park achieved international recognition in 1990 when it was designated a Ramsar site—a wetland of international importance—due to its exceptional value for waterbird populations. However, Lake Nakuru’s ecology has experienced significant changes in recent decades. Historically renowned for congregations of up to two million lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) that created a spectacular pink fringe along the shoreline, the lake has seen dramatic fluctuations in flamingo numbers due to varying water levels, pollution, and changes in algal productivity.
From a conservation perspective, Lake Nakuru National Park serves a critical function as one of Kenya’s most important rhinoceros sanctuaries. The park hosts both black rhinos (Diceros bicornis michaeli) and southern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum simum), with the combined population representing one of the highest rhino densities in Africa. The park’s relatively small size and comprehensive perimeter fencing enable intensive protection efforts, including 24-hour armed patrols and sophisticated monitoring systems.
The park’s establishment reflects Kenya’s evolving conservation philosophy. Initially created in 1961 as a bird sanctuary to protect the flamingo populations, it expanded to national park status in 1968. Subsequent expansions in 1974 incorporated additional woodland and grassland habitats, recognizing that effective ecosystem conservation requires protecting interconnected habitats rather than isolated fragments. The 2009 completion of a comprehensive electric fence around the park’s perimeter marked another milestone, reducing human-wildlife conflict while creating a highly secure environment for endangered species.
The park is centered on Lake Nakuru, a shallow alkaline soda lake whose mineral-rich waters support one of the planet’s most spectacular natural phenomena: seasonal aggregations of up to 1.5 million lesser and greater flamingos. Declared a national park in 1968, and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011 as part of the Kenyan Rift Valley Lake System, Nakuru has long punched above its weight in conservation. Today, its most significant legacy is as one of the most secure rhino sanctuaries on earth, home to one of the highest densities of black and white rhinos found anywhere.
Unlike many parks that feel vast and empty, Nakuru’s intimate scale means wildlife encounters are frequent and often close. The landscape is dramatically framed by the 300-meter red cliffs of the Rift Valley escarpment to the east, ringed by stands of ancient cactus-like euphorbia trees, acacia woodlands, and open grasslands that transition to riverine forest along the Makalia River. After a decade of rising lake levels that reshaped the ecosystem between 2010 and 2020, the park has stabilized into a new, equally vibrant equilibrium, supporting more large mammal life than at any point in its history.