How Old Is Kakum National Park

Known for its unique canopy trail, the Kakum National Park is located in the Central Region of Ghana, about 20 kilometres north of the regional capital Cape Coast. The national park covers an area of 145 square miles. The park has its name from the Kakum river which is located in the heart of the forest.The Kakum River and its tributaries supply fresh water to Cape Coast and 133 other towns and villages.

As the first national park to have a canopy walk in the country, the Kakum national park is one of the three places in Africa that features a canopy walk with a distance of 350 metres. Experience tour guides are always available to take tourists through the forest to watch birds and wild animals.

The park is an attraction site for nature lovers, photographers, individuals and families who want to experience nature in a serene environment. Tourists who love nature are welcome to pitch a camp on a tree house to watch animals at an affordable price during the night. In addition to tourists, hikers, botanists and birdwatchers from all over, the park is also a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

Up in the canopy one may see species of birds and insects that are almost impossible to find on the ground level and experience a unique and spectacular view of the rainforest ecosystem.The park serves as a conservation site for some endangered animals and rare mammals such as the Diana Monkey, Bongo, Yellow-backed Duiker and elephant

The bird sanctuary overlapping the park area has also been recognized as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International. An initial bird inventory confirmed 266 species in the park, including eight species of global conservation concern.

So How old is the national park?

The Kakum National Park was originally set aside in 1925 but was established in 1931 as a forest reserve and was gazetted as a national park in 1992. The Museums and Monuments Board proposed for UNESCO to declare the park a natural World Heritage Site. A sustainable Park is now being maintained by the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust with the support of UNESCO.

Until the park was gazetted as a national park, it was under the control of the Forestry Commission of Ghana with some lumbering activity going on. Undoubtedly, the Kakum National Park is one of the oldest and most conserved forests in the country.