Cross River National Park covers an area of around 3,000km² of lowland rainforest– the largest area of closed-canopy rainforest in Nigeria and contiguous with Korup National Park in Cameroon.  Oban is an important watershed with hills rising above 500 m and one peak reaching approximately 1,000 m.  The Oban Hills once formed part of one of the lowland rainforest refugia during the last glacial period and is an internationally recognized biodiversity hot spot and center of species richness and endemic particularly for primates, amphibians, butterflies, fish, and small mammals.  Oban contains a number of rare species such as the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee the drill leopard forest elephant the grey-necked Rock fowl and the slender-snouted crocodile Oban is the only site in Nigeria where the Preuss’s red colobus monkey and the crowned guenon can be found.  The contiguous Oban-Korup forest is reputed to be the richest site in the whole of Africa for butterflies.  Oban is also one of the richest and most ornithological diverse sites in the country.

Size of Cross River National Park

The park has a total area of about 4,000 km², most of which consists of primary moist tropical rainforests in the North and Central parts, with mangrove swamps on the coastal zones.

Location of Cross River National Park

Created in 1991 the Oban Division of Cross River National Park covers an area of around 3,000km² of lowland rainforest– the largest area of closed-canopy rainforest in Nigeria and contiguous with Korup National Park in Cameroon.

How to get to Cross River National Park

Obudu Plateau is 540 km from the main capital Abuja and travelers can drive or take domestic charter flights to the cross river state.

Things to do in Cross River National Park

Kwa Falls and Agbpkim Waterfalls are two of the many attractive features of Cross River National Park. It is aimed at being the pride of Nigeria tourism. The park has already started to see hundreds of footfalls in recent years.

Cross River National Park is located in the Cross River State of Nigeria, Africa. The biodiversity of the park is simply breath-taking. Cross River National Park is a major home to many primate species of Nigeria with the help of WCS staff you can trek gorillas, chimpanzees and other primate walks in the park.

There are no visitor facilities, but it is possible to appreciate the forests at the Afi Mountain Drill Ranch, a sanctuary for the endangered drill monkeys and chimpanzees, or the Rhoko Forest, another primate sanctuary. Then there are the serene, cool, and tranquil hills of the Obudu Plateau with its former cattle ranch, cable car, and hiking trails.

When to visit Cross River National Park

Nigeria is consistently hot all year round with very little change in temperature, and in the south, there is a constant uncomfortable humidity. Temperatures are highest from February to April in the south and from March to June in the north and lowest from October to January over most of the country.

Where to stay in Cross River National Park

Obudu Mountain Resort is Absolutely Exclusive! There is no other destination like it. It is one of the coolest places in Nigeria. Life up the Mountain is quite different with a temperature of less than 10-degree Celsius.