Hell’s Gate is super unique because it’s one of the only places in Africa where you can bike through a national park. The reason you can bike through Hell’s Gate is because there are no large predators here. We’re on our bikes a decent amount at home in Colorado so the prospect of being able to bike through a national park in Kenya safely was super exciting. Turns out, it was as cool of an experience as we thought it would be.
Should you bike ride through Hell’s Gate National Park?
Heck yeah you SHOULD! If you even are the slightest bit adventurous, in okay shape, and are an okay biker, you should go for it. A lot of locals drive through the park but it’s a short drive through the entire park, being only 8km long (about 5 miles) on the main drag, so why not take advantage of this cool opportunity and bike it?
Is bike riding at Hell’s Gate difficult?
The biking is moderately challenging, but an averagely fit adult should be able to handle it if you’re up for a bit of exercise. There are a few things to consider. The first is the total distance. To the end (the gorge) and back from the park entrance is roughly 10 miles. So, if you’re not used to riding bikes regularly you might be a bit sore at the end. It’s also mountain biking on dirt roads, so if you’ve never mountain biked before something to note is that if the gravel/dirt is dryer there’s a slight chance you’ll slide on gravel from time to time. We’ve found when we mountain bike, to mitigate danger (aka a scraped knee or elbow), just wear long sleeves and pants and you should be fine.
Also, Hell’s gate is at roughly 6,200 feet elevation, so this makes any physical activity slightly more difficult. So just take your time and bring lots of water. We went with a bunch of people that we met at the hotel and we all had a blast! Don’t let any of these points scare you off.
Where do you rent bikes?
If you’re staying close to the park, I definitely recommend grabbing a mountain bike from your hotel or where you’re staying and riding there. We rented ours from Camp Carnelley’s, where we were staying, a little over 1 mile (2km) away and rode through town to get there. You can also rent a bike down near the park entrance by the gate or at the actual entrance. Just be mindful that some of these bikes might not be in the best shape, so definitely test it before you take it out for the day.
At the gate entrance (about 1km from the actual entrance) you’ll find there are some guides for hire there. We did not take one, because we knew we’d be hiring a guide down at the gorge (which we’ll explain in a moment) so we opted to do the biking portion unguided which was great.
*Something to note during your travels in East Africa is, it is a really nice way to support someone and their family by taking a guide wherever you are if you feel that you want one for a better education about the area. We never regretted having one.
Entrance fees at Hell’s Gate
Once you get to the gate entrance, you’ll have to pay an entrance fee. The fee was roughly $60/person USD. You’ll find the more you travel in Africa, entrance fees are never cheap. It’s how their economy is supported and they know that tourists will pay. But overall it gives you less of an ability to do East Africa on the cheap, because you absolutely must pay a visit to the national parks (no pun intended). They’re of course the main attraction.
What to do in Hell’s Gate National Park
From the gate once you have your bike it’s time to start your journey through the park. It’s 5 miles (8km) each way and you take a main road. You will share the road with those who have opted to drive through the park so cars will definitely be passing you from time to time.
When you’re biking through the park you’ll see lots of wildlife. Try and go early in the morning or evening for the most wildlife viewing. The animals hide away during the heat of the day.
When you get to the 8km mark, you’ll be approaching the gorge. This is definitely half the excitement of visiting this park, so make sure you have enough energy to also do a hike! There are Maasai guides at the end for hire that will take you on a short tour so bring cash with you.
The gorge
The gorge is a beautiful landmark in the park. You used to be able to hike all the way down to the gorge, but due to a fatal flood, you can no longer visit the bottom. Now they’ll ask you if you want to do an “easy, medium, or hard” hike. We opted for the medium hike since we got a late start and it was already super hot. It was definitely worth it. We hiked around for about an hour and a half and he showed us the gorge, taught us about local flora and fauna, showed us the hot springs, and some really amazing view points. Again, due to elevation, you might find walking around is a bit more challenging than normal.
What should I wear to the park?
Wear your hiking gear. For sure a pair of shoes you can hike in with traction and bike around in. Bring a rain jacket just in case and a jacket. It gets HOT in the afternoons, we were there in January, so it was a bit hotter than usual but really in Kenya there’s a rainy season and dry season. It’s moderately temperate there year round. We were very mosquito conscience the entire time so we always brought loads of mosquito repellant wherever we went. Also the sun is intense here, so definitely pack sunscreen, and plenty of drinking water. You can grab more water at the front of the entrance at a little shop or at the start of your hike at the turnaround point as well they sold beverages.
What kind of animals will you see?
You’ll see lots of hooved animals like zebras, wildebeest, and gazelle. We also saw a ton of warthogs along the way, baboons, buffalo and even saw two giraffes on the side of the road. Of course you’ll also see a lot of amazing birds too. Even though there are no large predators here, it’s important to note that you should still keep your distance from the wildlife. Traveling around East Africa you hear stories of stupid tourists that got too close to wildlife and got very injured or worse. So just be smart and you’ll be absolutely okay.
How long should I spend in this area?
You certainly need to more than a half day or day to explore this area, but it’s certainly a must-do when you’re in the area.
Want to know more about Hell’s Gate National Parks? Have any questions? Just comment below!
What a Lovely Place 