Hell’s Gate National Park covers an area of 68.25 square km and is situated in the environs of Lake Naivasha about 90 km from Nairobi, and lies south of Lake Naivasha in Kenya. Hell’s Gate National Park is 14 km after the turnoff from the old Nairobi-Naivasha highway. Hell’s Gate National Park is named after a narrow break in the cliffs, once a tributary of a prehistoric lake that fed early humans in the Rift Valley. It was established in 1984. A small national park is known for its wide variety of wildlife and for its scenery. There are a number of ways on how to get to Hell’s Gate National Park.
The park is accessed by road easily as it is close to Nairobi, but can also be accessed by air.
Hell’s Gate National Park is located about nine miles from the turnoff from the Nairobi-Naivasha highway. The two-hour drive from Nairobi is a trip in itself, especially with the Escarpment Road’s stunning views of the Great Rift Valley. If you’re prepared to bargain, there are opportunities to buy Kenyan tchotchkes from vendors along the high way. This also gives a great opportunity to stalk enough fresh food and fruits in case you’re heading for a camping adventure in the park. The road was constructed by Italian prisoners of war during World War II and the tiny church they built is worth a stop. Hell’s Gate can be accessed through two main gates: the main Elsa Gate and the Olkaria Gate
In the case you would like to fly, then you will use the Naivasha airstrip as you landing ground, then connect Chartering flights between parks can be an efficient way to travel. These flights are booked by tour operators as part of their tour package. Most domestic flights, including flights to Naivasha, leave from Wilson Airport (WIL), 6km/4mi south of Nairobi by road to Hell’s Gate.
If you would like to connect to the park from Lake Naivasha National Park, it is very close and easy to reach, some tourists indeed sleepover at Lake Naivasha National Park for better accommodation, and make a day excursion to Hell’s Gate National Park, then after drive back in the late the evening after enjoying a wonderful day at Hell’s Gate and 18km/11mi west of Naivasha. As there is no accommodation in the park, most people visit as a day the trip from Lake Naivasha. Naivasha is easily reached by car via a tar road from Nairobi. Alternatively, there are daily flights to Loldia airstrip on the western side of Naivasha.
You can have a combined safari to both destinations since they are very close to each other.
Naivasha is a convenient stop-over between Nairobi and the Masai Mara. The distance from Naivasha to the Masai Mara is 170km/105mi and the driving time is about 3½ hours.