Shai Hills Resource Reserve

Shai Hills Resource Reserve is a protected wildlife area in Doryumu, in the Shai-Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region, managed by the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana. It is the wildlife reserve closest to Accra, which makes it a practical half-day or day trip from the capital rather than a long expedition.

The reserve covers about 51 square kilometres of dry coastal evergreen savannah. Roughly 40 percent of that area is taken up by granite hills covered in dry forest, and the landscape is described as rocky with short climbs. Wildlife recorded here includes olive baboons, green monkeys, spot-nosed monkeys, kobs, bushbucks, monitor lizards, pythons and snakes, along with zebras and ostriches. Large bands of olive baboons are known to gather beside the highway in the mornings and evenings. Birdlife is a major part of the reserve's identity, with more than 170 species recorded and an Important Bird Area designation.

The hills hold caves, including Hieowayo, Manya (Manyayo), Adwuku and Sayu, which were home to the Shai people from the late Stone Age until they were dislocated by the British colonial army. Hieowayo is the highest hill at 290 metres above sea level, reached by a 600-metre trail of about 45 minutes. Sayu Cave has three chambers and served as the ancestral chief's palace. The Manyam (Ngmayem) festival is celebrated in September and October at the park's caves.

Facilities include an interpretation centre where tours begin, cultural sites, picnic sites, campsites, climbing routes and walking trails. A museum displays cultural artefacts, and a resort hotel sits near the northern gate; there is no overnight accommodation inside the reserve itself. Guides accompany visitors on hikes and cave explorations, and a guide is described as mandatory for movement within the reserve.

Access is by road, turning off at Doryumu junction on the Tema-Akosombo highway. Visitors may self-drive, hire a taxi or ride-hailing car, or take a trotro or bus toward Akosombo and alight at Doryumu junction, where taxis are available. The reserve is open daily from 8am to 5pm. Roads can be rough in the rainy season, and no source documents wheelchair access or other disability accommodations.