Sibiloi National Park

Sibiloi National Park spreads across roughly 1,570 square kilometers (600 square miles) along the northeastern shore of Lake Turkana, featuring semi-desert landscapes broken by volcanic rock formations and lava fields. The terrain includes flat plains, red volcanic outcrops, and surprising strips of green vegetation where water reaches the shoreline.

The park was established by Kenya in 1973 and gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 1997 as part of the Lake Turkana National Parks designation. This recognition reflected the site's importance for understanding human evolutionary history through the fossils found here.

Gabbra, Turkana, and Dassanach communities inhabit lands within and around the park and maintain their pastoral traditions here. Their presence shapes daily life in this remote region where people depend on livestock and seasonal water sources.

This remote location requires significant advance planning, as roads are limited and reaching the park involves lengthy travel times from major towns. Basic lodging exists near the Koobi Fora Research Center for visitors planning to stay and explore the fossil sites.

The Koobi Fora fossil sites contain over 300 hominid specimens collected from rocks spanning several million years of human evolutionary history. These discoveries have provided crucial evidence for understanding how early humans and their ancestors lived and evolved in this part of Africa.

Location: Marsabit County

Inception: 1973

Part of: Lake Turkana National Parks

GPS coordinates: 3.96056,36.34250

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:50