Simien Mountains National Park
| Simien Mountains National Park | |
|---|---|
Simien Mountains | |
| Location | Amhara Region, Ethiopia |
| Nearest city | Debarq and Mekane Berhan |
| Coordinates | 13°11′N 38°4′E / 13.183°N 38.067°E |
| Area | 412 km2 (159 sq mi) |
| Established | 1969 |
| Visitors | 26,000 (in 2016) |
| Governing body | Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority |
| Official name | Simien National Park |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, x |
| Designated | 1978 (2nd session) |
| Reference no. | 9 |
| Region | Africa |
| Endangered | 1996–2017 |
Simien Mountains National Park is the largest national park in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, its territory covers the highest parts of the Simien Mountains and includes Ras Dashan, the highest point in Ethiopia.
It is home to a number of endangered species, including the Ethiopian wolf and the walia ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else in the world. The gelada baboon and the caracal, a cat, also occur within the Simien Mountains. More than 50 species of birds inhabit the park, including the bearded vulture, or lammergeier, with its 3-metre (10 ft) wingspan.
The park is crossed by an unpaved road which runs from Debarq, where the administrative headquarters of the park is located, east through a number of villages to the 4,430 metres (14,530 ft) Buahit Pass, where the road turns south to end at Mekane Berhan, 10 kilometres (6 mi) beyond the park boundary.