Menagesha Suba Forest Park

After 48km drive west of Finfine , out of which 20km is dusty road detouring 3km is the town of Menagesha suba forest park .The forest was origionally protected by King Zera Yakob of Shewa and was served as crown land in old system . At present, the forest is brought to be a park and being conserved by government . The total area of natural forest alone is about 9200 hectares whose composition represent the natural high forests vegetation various from high forest to alpine vegetation within altitude range of about 2300m to above 3000m . The oldest tree of Junipers which estimated to be over 200yrs old and six other tree species are among high forests while Erica arboreal and Helichrysum represent vegetation of above 3000m ( high altitude ) .Suba as a tourist site boasts not only indigenous tree species but also a number of birds and mammals species . The forest is characterise by thick heath and undergrowth’s of palms endemic to Ethiopia .As the forest is dominated by Juniper and Podocarpse gracilor which are estimated to be over four hundred years old . The park is gravel through a winding dusty road on western slope of mountain Wechecha . At the top of the mountain where the giant trees give their way to grass land .there is a guest house and camping ground. From here visitors certainly enjoy the spectacular scenery of the plain far away from the park to the south and the natural beauty of Adere and Mogloi mountains ,which is the place for sight seeing , hiking , and bird watching and natural admiration . Suba allow access to a good diversity of forest species on an easy half day trip from Addis Abeba but anyone can tire after visit this diversity forest . Nearly 3000 hectares of Juniper forest lie amongst plantations on the eastern slopes of 3,385m mount wechech. Menagesha is the shape of an upside down Pudding basin & is covered more or less entirely thick heath and undergrowth. The long grass and thick bushes provide plenty of cover for wildlife and birds.