Map of Kenya › National parks
Kenya’s National Parks on One Map: Every Park and Reserve Worth Knowing
Kenya safeguards its wildlife under three separate labels, and that distinction shapes your trip more than most travelers realize. This Kenya national parks map plots the actual boundaries of the parks, reserves and conservancies that safaris are built around, laid over the roads linking them, so you can judge which combinations suit the days you have.
Interactive map of Kenya’s parks and reserves
Dark green areas mark national parks, gold marks national reserves, terracotta marks conservancies, and teal shows the marine coastline. Brown lines trace the main highways. Tap a boundary to see its size and what it is known for; switch to satellite view to watch the terrain shift.
The interactive map could not load on this connection.
You can still use the guide and tables below, or open the area on Google Maps.
Park, reserve or conservancy: what the label tells you
National parks (Amboseli, Tsavo, Nakuru, Nairobi) fall under Kenya Wildlife Service management, so the rules stay firm and consistent wherever you go. National reserves (the Maasai Mara, Samburu, Buffalo Springs) are administered by county governments instead, which explains why the Mara’s fees and regulations don’t quite match KWS parks. Conservancies (Ol Pejeta, Lewa, the Mara conservancies) sit on private or community land held under conservation lease; you generally need to book a member lodge to enter, but that gets you night drives, walking safaris and far fewer vehicles at each sighting.
| Type | Run by | Examples | Practical difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| National park | Kenya Wildlife Service | Amboseli, Tsavo, Lake Nakuru | KWS fee structure, open to day visitors |
| National reserve | County government | Maasai Mara, Samburu | Sets its own fees, open to day visitors |
| Conservancy | Private or community | Ol Pejeta, Lewa, Mara North | Lodge guests only, low vehicle density, added activities |
Reading the map for a route
The map’s clusters more or less plan the trip for you. Everything in the southwest belongs to the Mara. Heading south, the corridor threads Amboseli, Chyulu and both Tsavo parks along the Mombasa road until it reaches the coast. The Rift Valley lakes are a short morning’s drive north of Nairobi. The central highlands group Aberdare, Mount Kenya and the Laikipia conservancies, while the northern trio of Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba share a single river and a single gate town. A week gives you two clusters without rushing; ten days stretches to three.
Each of these clusters has its own dedicated page: the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo, Samburu and the Rift Valley lakes, each reachable from the main Map of Kenya.
The numbers
Kenya counts 23 terrestrial national parks, 4 marine parks and upwards of two dozen national reserves, alongside a rapidly expanding web of more than 160 conservancies that together protect more land than the parks do. Nobody visits all of them, and there is no need to: roughly fifteen boundaries on this map account for the sightings that most first and second safaris rely on.
Kenya parks map questions
How many national parks are there in Kenya?
The Kenya Wildlife Service oversees 23 terrestrial national parks and 4 marine parks. On top of that, counties run their own national reserves, and a broad network of private and community conservancies adds further protected land.
Which is Kenya’s largest national park?
Tsavo East, covering 13,747 km2. Add neighbouring Tsavo West and the combined Tsavo block reaches roughly 22,800 km2, close to 4 percent of Kenya’s total land area.
Which national park lies nearest to Nairobi?
Nairobi National Park, just 7 km from the city centre. It stands alone among capital-city parks worldwide as a place where lion, rhino and giraffe roam free with a skyline behind them.
Is the Maasai Mara classified as a national park?
No. It is a national reserve run by Narok County rather than KWS, and that is why its fees and rules diverge slightly from parks such as Amboseli or Nakuru.
Let’s Turn These Boundaries Into Your Itinerary
Let us know which areas on this map interest you and how many days you can spend. Our team at SafariPure builds Kenya routes every week and will give you a straight answer on what realistically fits and what does not.
Start Planning Your SafariPark and reserve boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under ODbL. Basemap © OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Satellite imagery © Esri. Terrain tiles by Mapzen and AWS Open Data. Boundaries for Aberdare National Park, Chyulu Hills National Park, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Meru National Park, Nairobi National Park, Shaba National Reserve from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2026), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK. Available at protectedplanet.net.
