The park is located in Northern Kenya, along the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, in Samburu County. It lies approximately 350 km north of Nairobi and forms part of the larger Samburu–Laikipia ecosystem. Samburu National Reserve covers approximately 165 km², equivalent to about 16,500 hectares (165 million square metres).

The reserve sits in a semi-arid landscape, characterized by open grasslands, dry bushland, acacia woodland, doum palms and rocky hills. The Ewaso Ng’iro River is particularly important because it provides a permanent water source in an otherwise dry environment, attracting elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, predators and numerous bird species. Samburu is situated on the northern side of the Laikipia Plateau, with Buffalo Springs National Reserve lying directly across the Ewaso Ng’iro River. Together, these protected areas form an important wildlife landscape in northern Kenya.

The reserve was established in 1985 as a protected wildlife area. Conservation in the region developed as Kenya sought to protect important wildlife habitats while maintaining the ecological connections between northern Kenya’s different landscapes. The reserve takes its name from the Samburu people, an Indigenous pastoralist community whose traditional homeland extends across this part of northern Kenya. The Samburu have traditionally practiced livestock keeping, particularly cattle, goats and sheep, and their cultural traditions remain an important part of the region’s identity.

Over time, Samburu became internationally recognized for its distinctive wildlife, particularly species adapted to the dry northern environment. It is famous for the “Samburu Special Five”:

• Gerenuk
• Beisa oryx
• Grevy’s zebra
• Somali ostrich
• Reticulated giraffe