With 870 square kilometer, it is one of the most scenically diverse of Kenya’s wildlife sanctuaries where the park has a unique variety of habitats for such a comparatively small area. On the Tana itself, colonies of Monkey and flocks of parakeets inhabit the dense riverine forest. Hippo and crocodile are common, often seen sunning themselves on the broad beach-like sandpits. On clear mornings, the snow capped mass of Mt. Kenya appears in south-west, but the most picturesque sight is the sunset over the Nyambene range.

Open grasslands lie around the north-eastern boundary while fifteen perennial rivers feed the area, all rising from Mt. Kenya and flowing to the Tana River, keeping several swamps and springs alive and green throughout the year.