Maasai Mara National Reserve’s wide savannahs of Narok

Maasai Mara National Reserve in Narok, south?west Kenya, spreads across open grassland along the Serengeti border, where wildlife and Maasai culture share the same landscape.

Maasai Mara National Reserve in Narok County, south?western Kenya, is a sweep of open savannah where wildlife ranges across grasslands that continue into Tanzania’s Serengeti plains. Established as a protected wildlife area in the twentieth century, it forms part of the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem that straddles the Kenya–Tanzania border and has become a defining landscape of East African safari travel.

Grassland, rivers and an open wildlife landscape

Maasai Mara National Reserve lies in south?western Kenya within the Great Rift Valley region, contiguous with Serengeti National Park across the border in Tanzania.contiguous with Serengeti National Park The reserve covers about 1,510 km² (580 sq mi) of mainly grassland and open savannah, with scattered trees and riverine vegetation punctuating the plains.covers about 1,510 km²

The landscape includes rolling grassland, Acacia woodland, riverine forest along watercourses and areas of scrub and thicket.habitats in the Maasai Mara are varied The Mara River runs through the ecosystem, joined by tributaries that cut shallow valleys into the plateau and provide water and vegetation for grazing animals. To the west, the Siria Escarpment rises above the plains, marking the edge of the Rift Valley and forming a visible boundary to the reserve’s grasslands.the Mara Triangle lies between the escarpment, river and border

From wildlife sanctuary to national reserve

The origins of Maasai Mara National Reserve reach back to 1948, when part of the area was first set aside as a wildlife sanctuary under colonial administration.first established in 1948 In 1961 the protected area was expanded and formally gazetted, creating a larger game reserve that included both the Mara Triangle sector and surrounding savannahs.expanded and gazetted in 1961

The reserve was later designated as Maasai Mara National Reserve in 1974, giving it the national reserve status it still holds.named Maasai Mara National Reserve in 1974 Management sits with Narok County Government, which administers different sectors including the western Mara Triangle, run on its behalf by Mara Conservancy LTD.managed by Narok County Government and Mara Conservancy The reserve is classified as a national reserve rather than a national park under Kenyan law, reflecting its links to surrounding community lands and conservancies.a national reserve, not a national park

Wildlife, migration and Maasai presence

Maasai Mara National Reserve forms the northern sector of the wider Serengeti–Mara ecosystem, a shared grassland used by large herds of grazing animals and their predators across the Kenya–Tanzania border.forms the Kenyan part of the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem The ecosystem is home to more than 95 mammal species, including African buffalo, zebra, various antelope, and predators such as lions, cheetahs and hyenas.hosts more than 95 mammal species

The reserve is also recognised as an Important Bird Area, with extensive grasslands supporting threatened and near?threatened species alongside raptors and numerous smaller birds.recognised as an Important Bird Area Grazing lands in and around the reserve are used by Maasai communities, whose pastoralist culture has long been linked to the area and gives the reserve its name from the Maasai people and the Mara River.named after the Maasai and Mara River

Visiting Maasai Mara National Reserve: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Maasai Mara National Reserve lies in Narok County in south?western Kenya and is usually approached from Nairobi by road or by domestic flight to airstrips serving the reserve.
• The terrain inside the reserve is largely open grassland with dirt roads and tracks; vehicles often cross uneven ground and seasonal river crossings.
• The reserve sits on a plateau within the Great Rift Valley at elevations that can make mornings and evenings comparatively cool even when daytime temperatures are warm.
• English and Swahili are widely used in Kenya, and the currency is the Kenyan shilling.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Maasai Mara National Reserve

Where is Maasai Mara National Reserve?

Maasai Mara National Reserve is in Narok County in south?western Kenya, within the Great Rift Valley region and contiguous with Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

What can visitors expect on a visit?

A visit centres on vehicle safaris across open grassland and savannah, with river valleys, woodland patches and escarpment views forming a varied wildlife landscape.

What makes Maasai Mara National Reserve distinctive?

The reserve’s position within the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem, its extensive grasslands and the Maasai pastoral presence together give Maasai Mara a characteristic combination of wildlife and cultural landscape.