One of the shapeliest peaks in all the Rift Valley, Mt Longonot (2780m) and its serrated crater rim offers fabulous views. The dormant volcano rises 1000m above the baking-hot valley floor and was formed 400,000 years ago; it last erupted in the 1860s. The park itself covers only 52 sq km and was set up to protect the volcano’s ecosystem and little else. The name ‘Longonot’ comes from the Maasai name Olo Nongot, which means ‘Mountain of Many Summits’.