The Nairobi-Nakuru road is the starting route for many safaris. Therefore, plenty of visitors get their first sight of the Kenyan landscape from here. Not a bad place. Suddenly, at the turn of a bend at the highlands' rim, the earth opens up to the huge Rift Valley emptiness. Beside the stands offering their curios, a wooden lookout with a weak look displays a breathtaking view. The visitor obtains here a first impression of the primary role of the Rift Valley in East Africa's physical geography. Some hundreds of meters below, the acacia-scattered Kedong Valley bed conveys a neat and archetypical snapshot of the African landscape. Farther away, you get a glimpse of Mount Longonot, Hell's Gate national park and Lake Naivasha.

From the viewpoint, the road falls down hanging from the steep slopes of Kikuyu Escarpment. Meanwhile, trucks drive up slowly and heavily, and you will witness some impossible overtakings in which you'd better not get involved. Once down the valley, you will leave Longonot and Hell's Gate parks behind, border Lake Naivasha, cross the town of Gilgil and glance Lake Elmentaita before finally reaching Nakuru.

Due to the proximity to Nakuru town, this is one of the only parks which can be visited in a taxi, though it is definitely not the best way to travel a national park.

Naishi airstrip offers the chance to fly from Nairobi right to the heart of the park, but only during the dry season.

Obviously, Nakuru is accessible as well from Nyeri via Nyahururu, bordering the Aberdare Range (170 km), from Kisumu at the Lake Victoria shore (116 km), or from Naivasha on the main Nairobi road (65 km). If your trip includes a Nakuru-Masai Mara journey or viceversa, you can use the road that joins both towns via Mau Narok traversing the Mau Escarpment (100 km), though during the rains this track may become a quagmire.

If you come from Nairobi and you want to avoid the Nakuru fuss, you can enter the park through Lanet Gate, though signposting is deficient. Before reaching the city, take the left turn signposted "Lanet Gate", right in front of the Stem Hotel and ahead the railroad bridge. Just after take the right turn-off that runs parallel to the A104. This track will lead you directly to Lanet Gate.

Finally, Nderit Gate lies at the east side of the park, close to Lake Nakuru Lodge. This is a suitable way for visitors arriving from Mau Narok or Lake Elmenteita.

The park's tracks are usually well-kept, still you may find some mud during the rains. The main road circles the lake completely. The north drive is very busy and is hence less interesting for wildlife viewing. The biggest stretch of land in the park is located south of the lake. There is a track network here which is much less visited and where you will have the chance to meet some of the park's herbivores, such as Rothschild's giraffes, the elusive black rhinos and the bulky elands.