Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park covers 137sq kilometers and also lies between the peaks of mountain Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru and the ascends from 1500 m at Momella to 4566 m as the summit of mount Meru. It was established in 1960, this park was contained Ngurdodo crater and Momella lakes until 1967 when Mt Meru was made part of the park. Its flora and Fauna varies with the topography, which ranges from forest to swamp.

The best time for visiting Arusha National Park is during the dry season from July – March. Also the best month to do mountain climbing is June to Feb. On clear days magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro and one can easily see Mt. Meru from almost any part of the park. The best views of Mt. Kilimanjaro are from December-February.

Arusha National Park is only 25km east of Arusha, 58 km from Moshi and 35km from Kilimanjaro international airport. The park also contains a diverse resident population of herbivores, primates and the predators. More of them include; the black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, leopards, hyenas, waterbucks, wart hogs and a wide range of antelope species.

No lions in the park although you can see leopards if you are lucky. In case you prefer to walk on the Mount Meru sector of the park through a variety of landscapes, plains, forest moorlands and the lava desert, it is compulsory for an armed game warden to accompany you because the wild animals. From the summit of Mount Meru, you will have an impressive view of the crater and of the eruption cone 3000 meters below.

Arusha National Park is also famous for its 400 species of birds and some of these include; red sharks, hamerkops, spur winged gooses, herons, woodpeckers, grey parrots, secretary birds and many more. The Momella Lakes offer plenty of bird watching opportunities.