Tarangire National Park covers 2,850 km² in Manyara Region, about two hours' drive south-west of Arusha on a surfaced road. Established in 1970, it takes its name from the Tarangire River, which winds the length of the park and is the only permanent fresh water in the surrounding ecosystem during the dry season. That single fact shapes a visit. From June to November, animals that have dispersed across the Maasai steppe converge on the river and the Silale swamp: large elephant herds, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, eland and oryx, followed by lion, leopard and cheetah. The park is known for its density of elephants and for the ancient baobab trees scattered across the grassland. In the green season the herds thin out but the birdlife — more than 550 recorded species — is at its best. Tarangire is usually the first or last park on a northern circuit and rewards a full day or an overnight stay in the quieter southern sector.
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