Rift Valley · Kenya
Rift Valley Escarpment Road
B3Limuru Escarpment Viewpoint to Naivasha
The old Nairobi–Naivasha road drops dramatically from the Kikuyu Escarpment into the Great Rift Valley, one of East Africa’s great geological spectacles, built by Italian prisoners of war.
From the escarpment viewpoint above Limuru the road begins its long winding descent toward Mai Mahiu, switchbacking through tall euphorbia candelabras with the Rift Valley floor more than 600 m below. Roadside curio stalls mark the classic photo stops; the gradient eases past Mai Mahiu across the valley floor toward Lake Naivasha, the Longonot volcano to the south.
Rift Valley Escarpment Road on the map32.5 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 3Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%1,831 to 2,309 mPoints of interest2 stops
- Great Rift ValleyViewpoint3.8 mi in
- Rift valley viewpointViewpoint4.7 mi in
Hazards
- Heavy truck traffic on the steep escarpment descent
- Sharp hairpin bends with limited visibility
- Roadside vendors and pedestrians at the viewpoints
- Slippery surface during the long rains from March to May
Sources
“The B3 Escarpment Road flirts with the precipice before dropping steeply down to the Rift through candelabra euphorbia and spikey agave.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
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