With the release of Disney’s remake of The Lion King, a new generation is discovering the magic of the African plains. Kids will want to know where to find Pride Rock.
Pride Rock is an ancient and massive rock formation located in the vast Pride Lands, made famous by The Lion King franchise. It is the home of the Lion King of the Pride Lands and his lioness, functioning as his throne and palace.
The pride makes their den in a cavern in one part of the formation. It is shown to be so tall that one can see the entire Pride Lands from its peak, and vice versa, as the formation can be seen from any part of the Pride Lands.
Animals from miles away gather around Pride Rock to witness the presentation of a newborn cub. One other tradition that seems to persist is that when a new ruler takes the throne, he climbs to the top of Pride Rock and lets out a roar across the kingdom.
Pride Rock is later shown with the landscape around it dying in the wake of Mufasa's death and Scar becoming the new king, which had apparently cursed the Pride Lands as no rain had fallen for a very long time, and is nearly consumed in flames before rain extinguishes them. Animal herds are also known to gather at other times.
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The area surrounding Pride Rock is usually a lush savanna. However, during Scar's reign, a severe drought hits the area, the water dries up, and plant life dies, which leads the animal herds to leave.
Pride Rock at dawn.
Is Pride Rock a Real Place?
Sorry! It’s not. Although it’s never explicitly stated, we know The Lion King is set somewhere in East Africa. There are many theories about where exactly the film was based, but the masters of the Lion King universe themselves claim to have taken the best of each location they visited and stitched them into their own, perfect African paragon.
The most common ecosystem we see in the film is found in Central-, Eastern- and Southern Africa, however, East Africa takes the claim uncontended. Here there are two countries wrestling for the top-contender as the true home of The Lion King: Kenya and Tanzania.
Even many of the featured animal species we see (such as Thomson’s gazelles) are endemic of East Africa. Peppered throughout the film are some beautiful words in Swahili. A language spoken in a number of East African countries, and the national language of Tanzania and Kenya. The phrase Hakuna Matata and most of the characters’ names are also in Swahili.
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Look up photos for national parks such as the Serengeti, Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo or Tarangire, and you’ll instantly expect one of your beloved characters to appear from the foliage at any given moment.
Kenya's Claim
Our first clue is that the original 1994 film’s production staff began their inspirational journey at Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya. Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya (the production teams first stop) was, and still is, known for its rock formations and kopjes.
When visitors to Hell’s Gate National Park reach the sweeping cliffs carved by a prehistoric lake that gives the park its name, they’ll discover that Pride Rock’s real-life inspiration is no less majestic. One of the great things about Hell’s Gate is that you are allowed to rent bikes at the entrance to the park and bike through. You can also camp overnight on one of the cliffs overlooking the park.
It is a little known fact that Hell’s Gate inspired the Lion King (see the actual “Pride Rock” here!), and Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie was also filmed here.
Hell’s Gate is located in Naivasha, around a 3 hour drive from Nairobi. Hell’s Gate is one of the only places in East Africa where you can hike the totality of a park.
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Hell’s Gate is smaller and less packed with animals than Kenya’s other parks, but there’s nothing like pedaling your bike past a herd of zebras or trying to keep pace with a galloping giraffe.
The best bike ride stretches four miles from the main entrance of the park, Elsa Gate, to the picnic site and ranger station near the entrance to the Ol Njorowa Gorge. Set out on the dirt road in the early morning or late afternoon to escape the harsh equatorial; you’re likely to see animals all day, such as families of warthogs dashing across the road or herds of gazelles frolicking through acacias.
The park proves a popular spot for birdwatching, with more than a hundred species. Give the water buffalo plenty of distance; they’re more dangerous than they look.
Keep an eye out for Fischer’s Tower, a 75-foot-high rock formation made from molten volcanic lava forced up through a tear in the earth-or, if you prefer local lore, a rebellious girl who was turned to stone after defying her family before her wedding. This site is one of several places for rock climbing in the park.
From here, you can hire a guide-the area is community-run by Maasai people-to take you on a hike through the Ol Njorowa Gorge. The trail is not for the faint of heart; you’ll ford streams, scramble over boulders, and scale short rock faces, but the impressive views are well worth the effort.
At times, the walls of the gorge tower so high above you, and hug so tightly together, they almost squeeze out the light from the sky above. If the setting looks familiar, it might be because The Lion King isn’t Hell’s Gate’s only silver screen cameo-Lara Croft: Tomb Raider also filmed here.
The park is well known for its geothermal activity, with hot springs and geysers scattered throughout. In fact, one of the first geothermal stations in Africa built in 1981 can be found here.
Another neat feature of Hell’s Gate is that it has a beautiful canyon that you can hike down. After a couple of hours of trekking, we found ourselves at a very familiar-looking geological formation locally dubbed ‘Pride Rock’.
Hell's Gate National Park
Tanzania's Contribution
Taking an equal amount of credence is Tanzania. In the opening scene of the film, the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro is visible in the distance - located in north-east Tanzania close to the border, making it clearly visible from Kenya as well.
Another Tanzanian location that makes an appearance is Olduvai Gorge; a 50-kilometre-long, and 90-kilometre-deep canyon. This geological feature also exists in the film and is the setting of the gut-wrenching and heart-breaking wildebeest stampede scene. This stampede scene is also the first we see of the iconic wildebeest migration.
A natural event sought-out by millions world-wide, documentary film makers, and some of the greatest names in conservation, which runs through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
Great Migration/ Battle for Survival/ Wildebeest Crossing River Crocodile - Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park Facts
- The Serengeti is one of the oldest and most scientifically significant ecosystems on the planet.
- The Maasai tribe had been grazing their cattle in the Serengeti plains for around 200 years when the first European explorers arrived.
- Apart from rhinoceros, decimated by poachers, and hunting dogs, which are slowly declining, you will readily observe every species of African savanna mammal within the Serengeti.
- Spread throughout the south central Serengeti, kopjes (pronounced like “copy”) are geologic wonders comprised of exposed gneiss and granite shaped by the wind and temperature fluctuations. With sun-warmed rocks, vegetation for shade, and their elevation several meters above the plains, kopjes are a favorite resting spot for lions.
| Natural Wonder | Description |
|---|---|
| Serengeti Migration | Selected in 2013 as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa |
| Other Wonders | Red Sea reef system, Mount Kilimanjaro, Sahara Desert, Ngorongoro Crater, Nile River, and Okavango Delta |
Lion in Serengeti
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