Hyrax Hill is the most important Neolithic site in Nakuru County – named after a small mammal that lives in rocky areas called the Rock Hyrax.
Hyrax Hill is located about 4km from Nakuru town. It is one of the most sought-after historical & cultural centers in Kenya. Discovered in 1926 by Louis Leakey, the museum uniquely illustrates the lifestyle of seasonal settlement by prehistoric people as old as 3,000 years ago.
In 1937, Mary Leakey conducted the first major excavations and mistakenly described the Iron Age “Sirikwa Holes” as a pre-Iron Age village with “pit-dwellings.” Four years later (1943), the Kenya Government gazetted Hyrax hill as a National Monument. With continued excavations, new discoveries have been found year after year.
Today, Hyrax Hill is open to the public, allowing tourists to see prehistoric nomadic remains, small permanent villages, and the beginnings of an Iron Age culture. The presence of beach sands within the site clearly indicates that Lake Nakuru may have extended right to the base of the hill in early days.
A small museum is located on-site and stores the more fragile items. The exhibits are rather simple and the models are perfectly crafted making it easy to understand. Other attractions on on-site include a picnic site, camping site, the nature trail, the picturesque view of Lake Nakuru and the tortoise pit. A guided tour of the hill is available and is the best way to get the most out of this site.