Aberdare National Park History : The range itself was christened in 1884 by Scottish explorer Joseph Thomson who was the first white man to see the Aberdares mountain range who gave the name after Lord Aberdare, in 1815 to 1895 a revered landowner who was born near Mountain Ash and who later became home secretary in Gladstone’s government. Lord Aberdare was also the president of the Royal Geographical society at the time. The main intention behind the establishment of the Aberdare national park in May 1950 was to protect the Aberdare Mountains and the ecosystem located in the same vicinity, Aberdare ranges have a significant traditional importance to the Kikuyu people who believed the mountains are the home to their god ‘’Ngai’’ and they refer to them as the Nyandarua ‘’the drying hide’’ which is due to the distinctive folds of its silhouette.
Elizabeth l l became the queen of England (United kingdom) while on a Kenyan safari in Aberdare national park, this park was well known headquarters of the Dedan Kimathi the leader of the Mau-Mau uprising. In 1920 a large population of the Europeans settled on the Aberdare ranges and because of the European settlements the ranges were referred to as the ‘’ white highlands’’, living off the jungle and surviving thanks to techniques learned under the British officers during the Burma campaign in the World War l l, in which many of them had fought. Despite the manhunts through the forests and the bombing of the hideouts, little damage was done to the natural habitat, and Aberdare National Park remains one of Keya’s most pristine forest reserves.

On the western side, the range drops away to the Rift Valley. It was here, in the high Wanjohi Valley, that a concertation of the settlers in the 1920s and 1930s created the myth of the glamorous, decadent Happy Valley out of their obsessive, and unsettled, lives. There is not much to see (or hear) these days. The old wheat and pyrethrum farms were subdivided after independence and the valley’s new settlers are more concerned with making their market garden pay. The memories live on only among veteran wazungu. The Kinangop plateau was settled by Europeans, too but in 1950 the high forest and moorland here was declared Aberdare National Park.
The Aberdares is best known for being the home of the famous Treetops Hotel where the Princess Elizabeth became queen of England in 1952.The part of the range is protected as the Aberdare National Park that encompasses a 70 km long narrow mass if that branded as a world-class tourists destination and a conversation area.
The forests of the Aberdare range are renowned for their botanical riches and torrential waterfalls plunging from cloud-shrouded heights to spray filled ravines. The falls include the Gura waterfall which is the most prestigious falls in Kenya. The Queen’s cave pavilion was the site for the 1959 royal picnic lunch for Queen Elizabeth 11 and her husband Prince Phillip.
How to get to Aberdare National Park.
Aberdare National Park can be accessed by two different means that is by the road and the air from Nairobi city to the park.
By Road transport.
Aberdare National park estimates 160 kilometers from Nairobi the main city while driving on a smooth tarmac road from Nyeri and Naro Moruon the Eastern side. The best route to access the park runs from the town of Naivasha and Nyahururu which covers a distance of 87 kilometers while passing through beautiful slopes up to the moorland. From Nairobi city to Aberdare national park, this takes you around 2 hours and 48 minutes, Aberdare National Park History.
Travelers can use Nyahururu road passing through Nyeri town in order to access the park headquarter which takes 15 kilometers. Note at the paAberdare national parkrk headquarters sites where you load in your safari card from.
Gates to use when you reach includes the Tree top, Wandere, Ark, Kiandongoro, Ruhuruina and these gates are good to be used while starting the journey from Nyeri. The Mutubio gate is perfect for travelers coming from Naivasha.

By Air transport.
The domestic flights can be booked that includes the Air Kenya and Safari link, the park has got two airstrips for both the scheduled and charted that is Mweiga and Nanyuki airstrip, located close to Aberdare Park Kenya. The traveler can reach to Aberdare National Park by air transport through flying to Mweiga Airstrip which is the closet airstrip to the park. Mweiga airstrip is located on opposite side of the park quarter close to Sasin Estate Farm along Nyeru town to Nyahururu road. Which takes you around 35 minutes from Nairobi to Aberdare National Park.