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Travel photo of Kenya

National parks · 29 parks

Flag of KenyaNational Parks in Kenya

Kenya has 29 national parks covering about 32,034 km² in total. The largest is Tsavo East National Park (11,747 km²); the oldest, Fort Jesus Museum, dates from 1593.

Tsavo East National Park Tsavo East National Park11,747 km² · since 1948 Tsavo West National Park Tsavo West National Park9,065 km² · since 1948 Sibiloi National Park1,571 km² · since 1973 Marsabit National Park Marsabit National Park1,554 km² · since 1949 Marsabit National Reserve1,373 km² Mount Elgon National Park Mount Elgon National Park1,279 km² · since 1992 Malka Mari National Park876 km² · since 1989 Meru National Park Meru National Park870 km² · since 1966 Aberdare National Park Aberdare National Park766 km² · since 1950 Chyulu Hills Chyulu Hills741 km² · since 1983 Mount Kenya National Park Mount Kenya National Park693 km² · since 1949 Amboseli National Park Amboseli National Park392 km² · since 1974 Shaba National Reserve Shaba National Reserve239 km² · since 1974 Lake Nakuru National Park Lake Nakuru National Park188 km² · since 1967 Mount Elgons national park169 km² Buffalo Springs National Reserve Buffalo Springs National Reserve131 km² · since 1985 Ruma National Park Ruma National Park120 km² · since 1983 Nairobi National Park Nairobi National Park117 km² · since 1946 Hell's Gate National Park Hell's Gate National Park68 km² · since 1984 Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park39 km² · since 1978 Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve10 km² · since 1986 Watamu Marine National Park Watamu Marine National Park10 km² · since 1968 Arabuko Sokoke National Park Arabuko Sokoke National Park6.0 km² · since 1990 Malindi Marine National Park Malindi Marine National Park6.0 km² · since 1968 Saiwa Swamp National Park Saiwa Swamp National Park3.0 km² · since 1974 Fort Jesus Museum Fort Jesus Museum0.0 km² · since 1593 Kora National Park Kora National Parksince 1989 Mount Longonot National Park Mount Longonot National ParkNational park Tsavo National Park Tsavo National ParkNational park

Data: Wikidata (CC0), English Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Photos under their Commons licences — the author is credited on each park page.

National parks in Kenya at a glance

Kenya has 29 national parks covering about 32,034 km² — roughly 5.5% of the country's 580,367 km². The 3 largest parks together account for 70% of that area.

Largest national parks

  1. Tsavo East National Park — 11,747 km², since 1948
  2. Tsavo West National Park — 9,065 km², since 1948
  3. Sibiloi National Park — 1,571 km², since 1973
  4. Marsabit National Park — 1,554 km², since 1949
  5. Marsabit National Reserve — 1,373 km²

Oldest national parks

Planning a trip? See the best time to visit Kenya, the Kenya travel guide and airports in Kenya.

Frequently asked questions

How many national parks are there in Kenya?

Kenya has 29 national parks covering about 32,034 km² in total. The largest is Tsavo East National Park (11,747 km²); the oldest, Fort Jesus Museum, dates from 1593.

What are the largest national parks in Kenya?

Tsavo East National Park (11,747 km²), Tsavo West National Park (9,065 km²), Sibiloi National Park (1,571 km²), Marsabit National Park (1,554 km²) and Marsabit National Reserve (1,373 km²).

How much of Kenya is national park?

About 5.5% of the country — 32,034 km² of national parks out of 580,367 km² in total.

What is the oldest national park in Kenya?

Fort Jesus Museum, established in 1593, followed by Nairobi National Park (1946), Tsavo East National Park (1948) and Tsavo West National Park (1948).