Ngong Hills MTB Trails

The Ngong Hills define Nairobi’s western horizon — a 2,460m volcanic ridge overlooking the Great Rift Valley on one side and the Maasai plains of Kajiado on the other. Karen Blixen wrote of these hills from her farm below, and their silhouette is one of East Africa’s most recognizable skylines. The MTB riding here is as dramatic as the scenery.

The Trails

The 18km Ngong Ridge Traverse runs the length of the main ridge — exposed, fast and technically demanding with significant exposure on the Rift Valley side. On clear days Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Range are all visible. The 12km Radio Mast Loop is the most popular route — circling the upper ridge to the old radio masts and returning via grassland singletrack. The 8km Maasailand Descent drops off the ridge into Maasai territory — technical volcanic soil descending with Maasai homesteads (manyattas) visible below.

Safety Note

Buffalo are resident in the Ngong Hills forest. Riding in groups of 3+ is strongly recommended, and a Kenya Wildlife Service ranger escort is available (small additional fee) for the more remote sections.

Getting There

From Nairobi take Ngong Road southwest to Ngong town (25km). The forest station entrance is clearly signposted on the Ngong-Kibiko road. GPS: -1.3703, 36.6517.

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🌐 Visit Official Trail Website →