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Mount Elgon National Park is a renowned tourist destination in the Pearl of Africa – Uganda. The host to the second highest mountain in the country and is known for its top-tier mountain hiking activity on the slopes of the captivating Mount Elgon. The mountain is bisected by the border between Uganda and Kenya, making it such an iconic landform in the region.
The beautiful scenery of the park attracts masses of travelers every year to come and have the best adventures of their lifetime. Mount Elgon National Park extends up to Kenya with the Ugandan part of the park covering approximately 1,100 square kilometers and the Kenyan part covering 169 square kilometers. The park is located in the eastern provinces of Uganda in Mbale district.
About the Park
History
Its Uniqueness
Activities carried out
Attractions
Where to Stay
History
Mount Elgon National Park was gazetted in 1994 to protect the unique flourishing vegetation and wildlife in the area. There were several concerns about protecting the various small primates that inhabit the area which made the establishment of the park crucial.
The area where this park lies was predominantly governed by the indigenous societies that inhabited the slopes and the vicinity of Mount Elgon. This area was first gazetted as a forest reserve in 1929 by the forestry department under British governance. There was a series of insecurity in the area in the early 1990s until the joint forces wiped out the rebel militias from the forests. The forest reserve was then upgraded into a National Park for better tourism opportunities.
Its Uniqueness
Mount Elgon National Park stands out from the rest of the 9 national parks in Uganda due to its stunning physical landforms.
The National Park hosts the world’s largest caldera on Mount Elgon. It forms a beautiful scenery that is good for photography and videography.
Mount. Elgon National Park is also characterized by beautiful flora and fauna which further make it a beautiful place to be. The magnificent scenery made-up of cliffs, gorges, mesas, waterfalls and caves makes it a whole different and exciting destination.
Activities carried out
There are a series of exciting tourist activities that travelers can engage in when in the captivating Mount Elgon National Park. These include but are not limited to;
Mountain hiking. Mount Elgon is one of the most exciting mountains to hike in Uganda. It is the second highest mountain in the country after the Mountain Rwenzori. Its cliffs give a challenging hike and an unforgettable experience to travelers. The hike to the top comes with caldera experiences and visits to Jackson Pool and Peak which are such amazing destinations.
Caving. Visitors to the stunning Mount Elgon National Park can also get to engage in caving adventures. The travelers have the opportunity to explore the hidden caves in the National Park and enjoy their expeditions in unexploited areas.
Bird watching. Mount Elgon National Park is home to various species of birds which can be observed by visitors. The park is home to birds such as cinnamons, egrets, hammerkops, African fish eagles, turacos, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black bee eaters, piapias, oxpeckers, sunbirds, African paradise flycatchers and Darters.
Nature walks. Nature walks are also conducted in the National Park to help travelers explore more of the endowments and enjoy the feel of the natural environment.
Attractions
Mount Elgon National Park is inhabited by a variety of small primates which visitors can get to observe while there. These primates include tree squirrels, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and debrazzas monkeys. They can be observed in the forests on the slopes of the mountain.
Mount Elgon National Park is also a habitat for other mammals, especially the African buffaloes, African Bush elephants, impalas, waterbucks, leopards, warthogs and ellands.
Caldera. The dormant Mount Elgon volcano has a captivating caldera on its top which is an outstanding tourist attraction. It is the largest caldera in the whole world and presents great opportunities for photography due to the beautiful scenery it’s associated with.
Caves and cliffs. Mount Elgon National Park is known for its beautiful caves and cliffs which add up to its extraordinary beauty. There are a variety of caves to explore including the Kitum caves, Chepyail, Ngwarisha, Makingeny and cliffs, especially the Sipi Falls side.
Where to Stay
Lodges near Mount. Elgon National Park:
- Sipi Rafiki Lodge
- Rose’s Last Chance
- Sipi Valley Resort
- Mount. Elgon Hotel & Spa, Mbale
Our Partners
Uganda Tourism Board
.
Uganda Wildlife Authority
.
The Buhoma Gorilla Camp
.
The Bwindi Kids Charity
.
What our customers Say ?
Headspun2023-07-16Unforgettable Rwanda Emerald tailored our 5 day trip to Rwanda to all our many and frequently changing requests without any fuss. Chris, our driver/guide for the duration, could not have been more helpful and professional
Nic2022-10-25Amazing holidays! Great holidays! Even my special wishes were included into the planning although time was short. Our guide and driver City Tyson Magezi was caring and responsible. We traveled for four weeks and stayed in different accommodations from hut to tent to amazing hotels.
Susanne2022-08-19Just amazing It felt so safe and comfortable and exciting to travel with emerald. Our guide was so caring, so experienced and always friendly and an a great mood. He showed us so many animals included lions and leopards. That was just amazing . We saw wonderful landscapes like waterfalls and had contact to people . No Uganda or Eastern Africa without emerald . I m deep in love with Uganda and will come back as soon as possible.
Jose Murta2022-05-13Memorable Family Trip in Uganda Fantastic Trip that exceeded our expectations! Travelled to Uganda with wife and 2 children (9 and 10y old) for 7 days. Since the start (at planning stage) got a great support from Bob (company owner) and Edmund (our guide) via WhatsApp. They tailored a program to our needs including the unforgettable mountain gorillas hike, general hikes to waterfalls, safari including boat trip to see hipos!! Edmund, our guide, always super polite and the kids enjoyed him a lot! All our hotels, meals included in the package so no hassle on this….we just paid for drinks! The only regret I have is not staying one extra day in the Mburo National Park to explore a bit more ;) Memorable trip with so much nature and a super-humble people that made the experience even more enjoyable!! Super recommend!! The whole family just feeling we need to get back to explore more ;)Dwayne B2022-05-13Great Experience With Emerald!! It was an amazing experience! My guides Lucky and Hillary made me feel as if I was family and took care of everything I needed. They were very knowledgeable as we trekked to gorillas in Bwindi and a ride a wildlife safari through Queen Elizabeth. I learned so much from them about the animals, the terrain and the surrounding people. They we also incredibly helpful in helping me find activities around Buhoma, where I stayed, all of which were great. By the time I left I knew I had made friends who I will continue to stay in touch with. Can’t wait to come back with my family!
Dávid B2022-05-12Feeding python - 9 lions on a tree - leopard vs. lion We saw all animals and extremely special situations in a short period of time, good organization and friendly guide Paul with lots of knowledge.
Rachmurta2022-05-10Unforgettable trip! We spent one week in Uganda travelling by the guidance of Gorilla Experience safari. The whole experience were definitely above our expectations. Edmand was a friendly, polite and kind guide the whole time!
Vit Siv2022-04-22Ultimately Unique Experience of Uganda! It was unbelievable unique experience, one in a life time. Everything right from arrival to minor ditals was taken care of, too service! Itinerary was compiled/tailor to our wishes and needs as well as to include as much activities as possible. Tyson was our guide. He is an amazing guide, but even better person. He did an incredible job to put this all together, and make it all happen. We managed to do everything we wanted and even more. Definitely a trip to remember!!
Emmanuel OKalany2022-01-08A rewarding experience for a family visit to queen Elizabeth National Park My family and I had an excellent guided tour to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The itinerary planning provided was good and the costing of items was realistic. The care and hospitality of the team was excellent. They were also flexible to make time adjustments brought about because of traveling with children
Gordon Y2021-06-23Trip to Kaiso Tonya Game Reserve The guide/driver was too keen to find out my interests. That way, we always had something to talk abouts. Thank you
