• Mount Nimba
    Mount Nimba

Mount Nimba

Lace up your hiking boots and visit Mount Nimba for incredible views over three West African countries which will be tough to beat. Keep your eyes peeled for an amazing array of wildlife and birdlife, as well as over 100 species of orchid and the African Giant Swallowtail, Africa’s largest butterfly, all of which find sanctuary in this rich, rainforest habitat.

Beyond this rewarding outdoor experience is an opportunity to learn about the region’s fascinating mining history. In the 60s, Swedish workers of the Liberian American Mining Company, LAMCO, paved the mountain trail. Remnants of their activities remain and are being swallowed up by the surrounding rainforest. Still, the trail provides excellent opportunities for bikers, hikers, and drivers to explore the cliffs and rich biodiversity of this part of the East Nimba Nature Reserve.

As you begin to make your way to the summit, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views, sometimes shrouded in mists that engulf the mountain. Two paved roads leading up the mountain were built in the ’60s by the Liberian American Mining Company, LAMCO. On your way up, you will pass through a Forestry Development Authority gate, where you will pay a visitor fee. As you make your way up to the summit, the landscape of Mount Nimba changes dramatically from forest to savannah and then to the misty green staircase of the former mine. The main road into the park will bring you to Blue Lake, an old mine pit now converted into a lake. From Blue Lake, hikers can go on a guided trek on the tri-border trail that leads to a breathtaking lookout of the three neighboring countries.

Mount Nimba is in Nimba County and is about a 4-5 hour drive from Monrovia, mostly on paved roads (from Monrovia to Ganta). Sanniquellie and Yekepa serve as convenient locations to stay to access East Nimba Nature Reserve. Ask your guest house or hotel to help you arrange a guide for day hikes in the reserve.