Ragia Forest Hike

Located in South Kinangop, next to Sasamua dam is a wonderful forest trail that leads to a tall and beautiful waterfall where you can dip your feet in and swim too

 

The hike is approximately 9km long and is mostly gentle except for when we go down to the waterfall. The descent to the waterfall is long and steep with several slippery sections and can take up to 40 minutes to get down to the river

 

The forest trail is quite open in places and passes through forest vegetation as well as bamboo thickets and across small streams. The hiking time is about 6-7 hours including time for swimming

Full day trip

The destination is about 2.5-3 hours from Nairobi by bus

We’ll be using Waiyaki way joining to road A104 and then turn to Thika-Gatura road. Towns we’ll pass through are Gitaru, Kimende, Soko Mjinga, Kwa Haraka and finally Kinamba

 

Intermediate
  1. Hiking level –moderate with one long and steep descent to the waterfall. Total hiking distance is about 9 km. Factors contributing to moderate hiking experience include the steep descent and climb

 

  1. Main attractions – forest trek, one large waterfall, bamboo trails, views

 

  1. Type of hike – forest/river trek

 

  1. Atmospheric conditions – due to the mid – high altitude and wet area, the weather tends to be cool and wet.

 

  1. Slipping hazard – significant when going down to the waterfall – caution to be taken

 

  1. Steepness – quite long and steep descent to the river

 

  1. Hiking path condition – mostly open trails until we get to the river part which can be tight and twisting

 

  1. Water usage – medium – recommend a minimum of 2 litre depending on weather

 

  1. Route visibility – the trail is generally visible except for a few places where the paths can split

 

  1. Biodiversity – numerous species of insects, birds and trees
Starting at Sasamua dam at 9am or so
Some of the forest trails with pockets of bamboo
Making the descent to the river
Finally down by the river
Some of the close up scenery
There’s a bit of a trek along the river to reach the waterfall – just a few minutes

On going back, we can use a slightly different trail that has more scenic views
Gigantic trees dot the sky line as we continue on our way back

Some parts of the trail look pure magic as the light filters through the trees and bamboo

 

Once we’re done with the hike, we’ll head back to the city. Depending on when we start and finish, we could be back by 7:00pm latest

  • Good hiking boots, walking stick
  • Sun hat – to protect against the sun
  • Water – at least 2 litres
  • Snacks and lunch – since we expect to finish latest by 7pm, we recommend you bring snacks and lunch to eat while relaxing at scenic locations along the route
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Elevation Profile

Trail Map