Mount Longonot

Mount Longonot or Longonot Mountain is a stratovolcano located southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, in Nakuru county.  It is believed to have erupted last in the 1860s.  Its height is about 2780m above sea level.

Longonot is derived from the Maasai word oloonong’ot which translates to “mountains of many spurs” or “steep ridges”.

There is a 3.1 km trail from the park entrance up to the crater rim which continues in a 7.2 km loop encircling the crater. It takes about 4-5 hours with breaks in-between to go round the crater from the park entrance.  If embarking on a hike here, it is worth noting that the trail at the rim is heavily eroded and very steep.

A forest of small trees covers the crater floor and small steam vents are found spaced around the walls of the crater. The mountain is home to a variety of wildlife such as hartebeest, zebra, giraffe and buffaloes and if you’re lucky, you may spot a leopard.

Mount Longonot is protected and managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service as part of Mount Longonot National Park.

Reference: Wikipedia