Ancient Forest · Addis Ababa & Surroundings
Menagesha Suba Forest
Ancient juniper and podocarpus forest on the slopes of Mount Wechecha, said to have been protected since the 15th century.
- Best Time
- October to May
- Suggested Stay
- 1 day
- Altitude
- 2,300 to 3,385 m
- Region
- Addis Ababa & Surroundings
Why We Go
One of Africa’s oldest protected forests, just 45 kilometres from Addis Ababa.
About 2,500 hectares of indigenous forest cover the southern and western slopes of Mount Wechecha, an extinct volcano reaching 3,385 metres. It is one of the largest remaining patches of native forest near the capital and was a royal forest in the time of Menelik II.
The forest shelters the endemic Menelik’s bushbuck, leopards and colobus monkeys, and birds such as the black-winged lovebird, Abyssinian woodpecker and Abyssinian catbird, ideal for a day of hiking and birdwatching.
Highlights
- Hiking trails through giant juniper and Hagenia trees
- The extinct volcano of Mount Wechecha
- Menelik’s bushbuck, colobus monkeys and endemic birds
- Fresh mountain air close to the capital
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