Awash National Park

Awash National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Awash river
Location in Ethiopia
Location	Ethiopia
Nearest city	Awash
Coordinates	8°55′12″N 40°02′33.65″E / 8.92000°N 40.0426806°E / 8.92000; 40.0426806Coordinates: 8°55′12″N 40°02′33.65″E / 8.92000°N 40.0426806°E / 8.92000; 40.0426806
Area	756 km2 (292 sq mi)
Established	1966
Website	awash-nationalpark.com

Awash National Park is one of the national parks of Ethiopia. Spanning across the southern tip of the Afar Region and the northeastern corner of the Misraq Shewa Zone of Oromia, this park is 225 kilometers east of Addis Ababa (and a few kilometers west of Awash), with its southern boundary along the Awash River, and covers 756 square kilometers of acacia woodland and grassland. The Addis Ababa - Dire Dawa highway passes through this park, separating the Illala Saha Plains to the south from the Kudu Valley to the north. In the south of the park the Awash River gorge has amazing waterfalls. In the upper Kudu Valley at Filwoha are hot springs amid groves of palm trees.

The Awash National Park was established in 1966, although the act authorizing its existence was not completely passed for another three years. In establishing this park, as well as the Metehara Sugar Plantation to the south, the livelihoods of the Karayyu Oromo people indigenous to that area have been endangered—an effect that is contrary to the Ethiopian government's original intention of these establishments serving to benefit the local population.

Wildlife in this park include the East African oryx, Soemmerring's gazelle, dik-dik, the lesser and greater kudus, and warthogs. Anubis baboons and hamadryas baboons are present, as well as over 453 species of native birds like the North African ostriches. Previously there were packs of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), but this species may now be locally extirpated.