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Mount Elgon National Park known to have World’s Largest Mountain Caldera boarders Uganda on Eastern and Kenya border in the western. It was gazetted as a National Park in 1992. Mount Elgon is renowned as the second tallest mountain in Uganda and 8th in Africa covering an area of 1,279 square kilometers with its peak the Wagagai at 4321m high.
Mount Elgon National Park features a diverse landscape that includes montane forests, grasslands, and striking volcanic formations like caves and calderas. The park’s unique climate fosters a rich variety of plant and animal species. Visitors can find over 400 plant species and numerous butterflies, alongside 300 bird species, including the rare Jackson’s francolin, alpine chat, and white-starred forest robin.
The park is also home to a variety of mammals, such as elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, oribis, defassa waterbucks, spotted hyenas, and several antelope species. Primate species, including blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys, can be seen swinging through the tropical montane forests and bamboo groves.
There are two main tribes, the Sabiny and the Bagisu (Bamasaba), who inhabit the fertile lower slopes of the mountain, focus on subsistence farming. The Bagisu are particularly known for cultivating Arabic coffee, bananas, and millet. The higher slopes of the mountain are protected and managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority,
Activities Around Mount Elgon National Park
Visitors to mountain Elgon can engage in a variety of activities, making it their trip adventurous;
Mountain Climbing In Mount Elgon National Park
Mountain climbing is an amazing experience with lasting memories while trekking through the calderas and the tropical montane, taking 4 to 6 days to reach the peak depending on what trail is used. There 3 starting points; Salsa trail, Pisa trail, and Sipi trail.
The Salsa Trail is the shortest and most direct route from Mbale town to the peak of Wagagai. However, it is quite steep and passes through a dense bamboo forest, taking about four days to complete the journey.
The second route, known as the Pisa Trail or Kapkwata Trailhead, begins in the forest at Kapkwata. This trail is the longest and least steep, taking about six days to reach the peak. It winds through a podocarpus forest and offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching, as well as sightings of a few primates.
The third route is the Sipi Trail, which begins at Kapkwai Forest and takes about six days to reach the peak. Many tourists choose the Sipi Trail for its longer duration, allowing for greater exploration of the forest’s wildlife and natural beauty. For the descent, they often opt for the Salsa Trail, which is the shortest route back down the slopes.
As you prepare for your trip, please pack hiking boots, lunch box, water, hiking stick, camera, binoculars among others.
Bird Watching In Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park is home to over 300 bird species, including 50 that are endemic, such as the Moorland Francolin, Alpine Chat, and Black-collared Apalis. Birdwatchers can also spot a variety of other species, including the Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Yellow-billed Barbet, Lanner Falcon, Red-fronted Parrot, Meyer’s Parrot, Chinspot Batis, White-bellied Tit, Gray Apalis, Black Sawwing, Slender-billed Greenbul, Abyssinian Thrush, and Streaky Seedeater, among many others.
The park offers excellent bird-watching opportunities, particularly in the dense shrubs and forest canopies along its three hiking trails: Sasa Trail, Sipi Trail, and Piswa Trail.
Nature Walks In Mount Elgon National Park
Nature walks in Mount Elgon offer an adventurous experience along trails such as the Khauka Cave Trail and the Bamboo Trail. This on-foot adventure allows visitors to explore a diverse landscape filled with breathtaking features. Hikers may encounter magnificent waterfalls, vibrant everlasting flowers, vast caves, and a stunning array of rugged peaks and summits. The park is home to pleasing gorges, tranquil crater lakes, and bubbling hot springs that reach temperatures of around 60 degrees Celsius.
Wildlife sightings include notable fauna like buffalo and elephants, while the unique flora features rare species such as Elgon teak, Elgon olive, and Elgonensis lobelia, which are not found anywhere else in the world. Birdwatchers will delight in the park’s rich avian diversity, with around 300 species, including the rare Lammergeyer and Jackson’s Francolin
Sport Fishing Around Mount Elgon National Park
This activity typically takes place in the Sipi area, providing entertainment for tourists while practicing catch-and-release fishing. Morning is the best time for fishing, with guides helping to identify the most promising spots. Tourists should obtain fishing permits to fully enjoy this experience plus fishing equipment is provided but also guests having their own is an added advantage.
Community Encounters Around Mount Elgon National Park
Tourists have the opportunity to indulge themselves in the local culture by engaging with the community and experiencing their traditional ways of life. Visitors can learn the local language, enjoy storytelling, explore heritage sites, and witness cultural performances such as the Kadodi dance of the Bagisu people. Additionally, tourists may attend cultural rituals, including the circumcision ceremony, where crowds sing and dance as they escort the young men through the community to the circumcision site.
Nyero Rock Paintings Near Mount Elgon National Park
The Nyero Rock Paintings are one of Uganda’s most renowned prehistoric sites, located 65 km north of Mbale. These remarkable artworks are considered some of the finest examples of ancient rock art in the region. Believed to have been created by early humans, the paintings provide insight into how people lived and adapted through various historical transitions over the centuries.
Visit The Sipi Falls Near Mount Elgon National Park
Sipi Falls, located 3 km deep in the Sipi Valley, is the most famous of Mount Elgon’s many waterfalls. While it can be explored as a one-day activity, an overnight trip offers stunning sunset and sunrise views over the falls. In addition to enjoying the breathtaking scenery, visitors can partake in abseiling from a 100-meter ridge into the pool below. The area around the falls also features unique rock formations that serve as excellent spots for rock climbing.
Accommodations Near Mount Elgon National Park
When visiting Mount Elgon National Park, you’ll find a variety of accommodation options to suit different preferences and budgets including Masha Hotel, Rafiki safari Lodge, Noah’s Ark, the Crow’s nest, Twilight Sipi Campsite, Moses’s Campsite, Teryet Safari Lodge, Wash and Wills Hotel, Mamikki Hotels, Le Cottage Mbale, Hotel Rastopark, Mbale Resort Hotel, Eagle’s nest hotel among others.
How To Get To Mount Elgon National Park
For visitors using the road, the distance from Kampala to Mount Elgon National Park is about 230km via the Jinja Highway, taking 4-5 hours to reach Mbale town. For those who cannot handle long journeys, there is an option of booking a flight from Entebbe International Airport to Soroti Airfield near Mount Elgon.
