Sabah-Kinabalu Park

The Kinabalu Park

The Kinabalu Park covers an area of 754 sq km and is made up of Mount Kinabalu, Mount Tambayukon and the foothills. It was gazetted to preserve this valuable natural environment. The mountains have a fascinating geological history, taking 'just' a million years to form. The Mount Kinabalu is actually a granite massif that was later thrust upwards through the crust of the surface.
Subsequent erosion removed thousands of feet of the overlying sand and mud stone, exposing this massif. During the Ice Age, glaciers running across the summit smoothed it out, but the jagged peaks that stood out above the ice surface remained unaffected, retaining the extremely ragged surfaces. This rugged mountain is the focal point of the National Park.

Key Tips
If you plan to climb the mountain, be sure to bring a head torch for the early morning climb to the summit which starts in utter darkness and cold weather gear. The summit temperatures have been known to dip to below freezing!


How to get there
By Taxi Car rentals can be arranged through major hotels in Kota Kinabalu. Taxis go to Park HQ at Ranau and take a maximum of four passengers. You can negotiate for the taxi to pick you up from Park HQ for your return if you hire the whole taxi. By BusAll express and minibuses between Kota Kinabalu and Ranau or Sandakan pass the park turn-off, from where it is just 100m to the Park HQ.