Karura Forest is the largest of three main gazette forests in Nairobi.

 

It's located in the northern part of Nairobi city. Others are Ngong Forest and Oloolua Forest.

 

It is an Urban forest in the north of central Nairobi city, the capital of Kenya, it was gazetted in 1932 and managed by the Kenya Forest Service

 

The forest offers eco-friendly opportunities for Kenyans and visitors to enjoy a leafy green respite from the hustle and bustle of the city to walk, to jog, or simply to sit quietly and experience the serenity of nature in all its diversity.

The forest is open to visitors from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM

• It is recommended that you wear comfortable shoes to enjoy your trip.
• Drinking water
• Camera & Binoculars
• Wildlife books especially for birds and butterflies.

There are two wet seasons

• From April to June, during the long rains From October to December, during the short rains.
• The other is sunny and dry From January to March The rest is during July and August, when its usually cool and cloudy.

Karura has an average annual rainfall of 930 mm.

 

July to December is the best times to visit Karura Forest.

 

Indeed during the dry season there happens to be time of the Great Wildebeest Migration in the savanna of Masai Mara.

 

Nonetheless, the rainy seasons are a good time to visit the area as well. Simply because there are fewer visitors during this time of the year.

 

December is a great time to visit Kenya. The rain is short and there is a huge opportunity to spot newborn animals and migratory bird species. Fauna The forest is home to up to 200 species.

 

These includes but not all, Harveys duikers, Bushbucks, Bush pigs, Genets, Honey badgers, Civets, Bush babies, Porcupines, Syke’s monkeys, Bush squirrels, Hares, fruit bats The Species of reptiles Pythons, Green snakes, Monitor lizards.

 

The forest has around 200 species of birds such as; Ayres Hawk-eagle, the African Crowned Eagle, the Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, the Hartlaub’s Turaco, the Narina Trogon, Owls, Crested Cranes, Sparrows, Doves, Weavers and Vultures.

 

Butterflies includes; African Queen Desmond’s Green Banded Swallowtail.

 

Flora Karura Forest is around 2,570 acre, it consists of three parts separated by Limuru and Kiambu roads. Around 36 percent of the forest contains indigenous upland forest tree species.

 

Plants covers 632 hectares. These plants includes; Araucaria cunninghamii, Eucalyptus saligna, E. globula, Grevillea Robusta, Cupressus torulosa, Cupressus lusitanica.

 

The shrubs consists of; Strychnos henningsii (Muteta), Erythrococca bongensis (Muharangware), Vangueria madagascariensis (Mubiro), Rhamnus prinoides (Mukarakinga), Caesalpinia volkensii (Mubuthi), Solanum incanum (Mutongu), Elaeodendron buchananii (Mutanga), Rhus natalensis (Muthigio).

 

Indigenous trees covers up to 260 hectares which includes species like; Olea europaea subsp, Auspidata, Croton megalocarpus, Warburgia ugandensis (Muthiga), Brachylaena huillensis (Muhugu), Uvaridendron anisatum, Markhamia lutea, Vepris nobilis, Juniperus procera (Cedar), Craebean brownii, Newtonia,, buchananii, Salvadora persica, Ficus thonningii, Trichilia emetica, Calodendrum capense & Dombeya goetzenii.

 

Other plants in the forest; Groves of Arundinaria alpina, Kenya’s native bamboo species.

 

In addition, visitors can enjoy views of The riparian belts of Gitathuro and Ruaka rivers Exotic giant bamboo Dendrocalamus giganteus along Karura river near the tree nursery.

 

And wetlands that are important habitats for birds.