Visit Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia Wildlife Safari Tours
Bale Mountains National Park protects a landscape mosaic of extraordinary beauty that is shaped by the combined forces of ancient lava outpourings, glaciation, and the dissection by the Great Rift Valley. It features volcanic peaks and ridges, dramatic escarpments, sweeping valleys, glacial lakes, lush forests, deep gorges, and numerous waterfalls, creating exceptional natural beauty. The park encompasses an area of approximately 2,150 km2 (830 sq mi) in the Bale Mountains and Sanetti Plateau of the Ethiopian Highlands.
The Park includes Africa’s largest area of afro-alpine habitat above 3,000 m above sea level with numerous glacial lakes, wetlands, and moorlands. Volcanic ridges and peaks tower above the plateau, most prominently Tullu Dimtu, Ethiopia’s second-highest peak at 4,377 m. Elsewhere in the park, extensive grasslands thrive next to various types of forests including tree heath, bamboo, and juniper forests. Significantly, the southern slopes of the Bale Mountains descend dramatically into the famous Harenna Forest, the second-largest moist tropical forest in Ethiopia, including patches of cloud forest.
Bale Mountains National Park is the ultimate destination for hikers, wildlife watchers, culture and nature enthusiasts, bird watchers, and more! Explore one of the highest parks in Africa by horseback, go fishing, or experience an authentic community by trying local coffee and honey! One of the best sites to spot the rare and endangered Ethiopian Wolf is on the spectacular Sanetti Plateau as the sun rises.
The forests of the Bale Mountains are important for genetic stocks of wild forest coffee (Coffea arabica) and for medicinal plants in Ethiopia. Three medicinal plant hotspots have been identified: two in the Gaysay area and one in the Angesu area, spanning the park boundary. The female flowers of Hagenia contain anthelmintic, which is used to treat tapeworms among the local populations.
Wildlife in Bale Mountains National Park:
The Bale Mountains National Park is an important area for several threatened Ethiopian endemic species. The Park holds 26% of Ethiopia's endemic species including one primate, one bovid, one hare, eight rodent species, and the entire global population of the big-headed African mole rat. There are also several rare and endemic amphibians.
Animals:
Mammal species in the Bale Mountains National Park include the Ethiopian wolf, Mountain nyala, big-headed African mole-rat, Menelik's bushbuck, common duiker, klipspringer, Bohor reedbuck, Ethiopian highland hare, honey badger, warthog, spotted hyena, serval, and the Bale Mountains vervet.
Other mammals of Bale Mountains National Park located in Harenna forest include the African golden wolf, Giant forest hog, Mantled guereza, lion, African leopard, and African wild dog. Almost one-third of the 47 mammals that live in BMNP are rodents.
Birds:
The Bale Mountains are home to over 282 species of birds, including nine of the 16 species endemic to Ethiopia. Furthermore, over 170 migratory birds have been recorded within the park. Bale Mountains National Park is home to almost every highland Abyssinian and Ethiopian endemic. Sixteen of Bale's bird species are endemic to Ethiopia, including blue-winged goose, spot-breasted lapwing, yellow-fronted parrot, Abyssinian longclaw, Abyssinian catbird, Bale parisoma, Ethiopian siskin, fawn-breasted waxbill, and the Abyssinian owl.
Other Wildlife:
The Park is also home to Ethiopian rare endemic reptiles that are newly discovered in the Bale Mountains forested areas including the Ethiopian House snake, Ethiopian mountain adder, Bale two-horned chameleon, Harenna hornless chameleon, Beardless Ethiopian montane chameleon, and Wolfgang Böhme's Ethiopian Chameleon.
At least 7 species of endemic Amphibians are discovered in forested swampy areas and Bale Mountains National Park plateaus. Ethiopian burrowing tree frogs, Erlanger's Grassland frogs, and Neumann's Grassland frogs are commonly rare within these habitats. However, other amphibian species live within the areas of the Bale Mountains such as the Bale Mountain Frog, Ethiopian banana frog, Ragazzi's tree frog, Kouni Valley striped frog, and Malcolm's Ethiopian toad among others.
The Park is also an ancestral home of the Oromo people, the Bale Mountains are home to approximately a population of 1.5 million, most of whom are farmers, and for whom the mountains are an important aspect of the traditional annual grazing cycle
Access to Bale Mountains National Park:
Getting to the Bale Mountains usually involves catching a domestic flight to the nearby airport town of Robe. From here, it is a 2-hour drive to the Bale Mountains Lodge. If you are basing yourself in the town of Dinsho, it is a slightly shorter drive from Robe.
One of the best ways to get to the Bale Mountains is via a road trip across the Rift Valley. Often, you can learn much more about a country by driving through, rather than flying overhead. A road trip from Addis down to the Bale Mountains is an awesome couple of days, and well worth it if you have more time.
Best time to visit:
Being a highland area, the Bale Mountains have a very different climate to many parts of southern Ethiopia. The mountains follow similar weather patterns to the high-altitude north of the country. The Bale Mountains have a rainy season from June to September, so if you want to see the park at its most beautiful, September and October are fantastic months to visit.
The best time to visit for hiking is between October and March during the dry season.
Where to Stay:
Accommodation options in the Bale Mountains are limited. By far the best option in the area is the Bale Mountains Lodge. Not only is it the best accommodation option in the park, but it's one of the best lodges in Ethiopia. However, the Bale Mountains Lodge does not come cheap, so if you are on a budget you will need to stay at some of the basic hotels in Goba or Dinsho.
For those who want a proper outdoor adventure, there are several fly camps set up around the park.
Arrange and Book with Ultimate Wild Safaris for the Bale Mountains National Park tour in Ethiopia.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Mobile: +256 705 087 906 / 760 282 342
