To the southeast of the Rift Valley lakes is the Bale Mountains, which form the water tower and source of rivers running southeast from Ethiopia. This high moorland is the main refuge for the Ethiopian Wolf, the world’s rarest canid. With the thick forest on its south and eastern slopes, it is a wonderful place to visit, and we travelled there in June 2025 and felt absolutely safe.

We work with local guides from these mountains who are part of the local community. It is also possible to fly into the Bale airport in the town of Robe just east of the park with daily services. While the park itself is very safe, we do not recommend driving on the road south from the park beyond Delo Mena, 60 km south of Rira, a settlement south of the plateau where we stay when visiting the forest. We do not recommend taking the roads to the east or northeast from Bale. Driving from the Rift Valley lakes side is the best way to access the park and is the most direct.