Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia’s most significant biodiversity hotspot, boasts a rich variety of high-altitude habitats. These include lush evergreen forests, giant bamboo stands, pastel-shaded moorlands, and river valleys lined with fragrant juniper-hagenia woodlands. In 2009, the park was nominated as a tentative UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. It is the primary habitat for three endemic large mammals: the Ethiopian wolf, mountain nyala, and Bale monkey. Additionally, its remarkable birdlife has earned the African Birding Club’s recognition as one of Africa’s top five birding hotspots.
Sanetti Plateau, the park’s high-altitude centerpiece, is a vast lava plateau dotted with several volcanic cones over 4,200 meters high. Sanetti represents the world’s largest Afro-Alpine moorland, with heather tussocks, icy tarns, and ethereal giant lobelias. The northern slopes below Sanetti are home to juniper-hagenia woodlands and Afromontane grasslands, while the southern slopes feature Erica, bamboo, and Afromontane forests.
What to See
Bale boasts over 1,300 plant species, including 160 endemic to Ethiopia and 23 unique to the park. The park’s most significant global contribution is as the primary home of the endangered Ethiopian wolf, a red-and-white canid often seen trotting through Sanetti’s heather while hunting rodents, like the giant mole-rat. Bale is also the last main stronghold for the endangered mountain nyala, a large, spiral-horned antelope commonly spotted on the short walking trail through the juniper-hagenia forest near the park’s headquarters at Dinsho. Other mammals often seen around Dinsho include warthogs, Bohor reedbucks, and Menelik’s bushbucks.
The Harenna Forest south of Sanetti hosts the park’s richest variety of large mammals, including the remarkable giant forest hog, the world’s largest swine, and the highly localized Bale monkey, a vulnerable endemic with a specialized bamboo diet.
Bale is an exceptional place for birdwatching. It hosts six national endemic species, 11 species shared only with Eritrea, and several unique to the Horn of Africa. The juniper-hagenia forest near Dinsho is home to woodland species such as the white-cheeked turaco, yellow-fronted parrot, black-winged lovebird, and Abyssinian catbird. High-altitude species on Sanetti include Rouget’s rail, chestnut-naped francolin, spot-breasted plover, and alpine chat. Bale is also the only known sub-Saharan breeding ground for the golden eagle, ruddy shelduck, and red-billed chough, highlighting Ethiopia’s Palaearctic wildlife links.
Bale is an ideal destination for hiking and mule-back treks. The easy trail around Dinsho and the half-day Bamboo and Waterfall Trail in Harenna Forest are great starting points. Longer trails, mostly above the 3,000-meter contour, range from two to eleven days.
Surprisingly, Bale is accessible by vehicle. All-weather roads lead to most of its stunning habitats. Notably, the all-weather road across Sanetti Plateau to the 4,377-meter peak of Mount Tulu Dimtu is the highest in Africa.
Getting There
Dinsho, the park’s headquarters, is 370 km from Addis Ababa via Adama and Asela. This route is the quickest and least trafficked. Alternatively, a 420 km route via Shashemene is preferred by tours that also visit the Rift Valley lakes. Local tour operators in major towns offer tours.
Getting Around
An all-weather road runs from Dinsho via Robe to Goba and continues south, crossing Sanetti Plateau and descending into Harenna Forest. This road provides excellent wildlife viewing and birding opportunities, with good chances of spotting many endemic species. However, exploring Dinsho and Harenna Forest on foot will yield the best results. Multi-day hikes can be organized at the Dinsho guides association and ticketing office.
Accommodation
The world-class Bale Mountain Lodge opened in Harenna Forest in 2014. Budget to mid-range accommodations are available in Goba, Robe, and Dinsho. Five overnight hiking huts are scattered along the trails of the Adaba-Dodola Integrated Forest Management Project. However, for those hiking within the national park, camping is the only option, with gear available for rent at Dinsho.
