Background Information
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m. As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey.
Mgahinga National Park is Uganda’s smallest and probably most scenic National Park is situated in the extreme South-Western corner of the Country, forming part of a large conservation area that straddles political boundaries to include parcdes Volcano in Rwanda and Parc de Virungas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three extinct Volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga range, lie within the boundaries of the Ugandan portion of this biologically rich area.Mountain gorillas form the main attraction at Mgahinga National Park, which protects the Ugandan portion of the Virungas, an imposing string of nine freestanding extinct and active volcanoes that runs along the border with Rwanda and the Congo.
As well as being important for wildlife, the park also has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s “first people”, and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivalled.
Mgahinga’s most striking features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga Range that lies along the border region of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. Mgahinga forms part of the much larger Virunga Conservation Area which includes adjacent parks in these countries. The volcanoes’ slopes contain various ecosystems and are biologically diverse, and their peaks provide a striking backdrop to this gorgeous scenery.
Where to find Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
About Mgahinga Gorilla National Park:
Size: 33.7km2, making it Uganda’s smallest National Park.
The park takes its name from “Gahinga” – the local word for the piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.
The British administration declared the area a game sanctuary in 1930; it was gazetted as a National Park in 1991.
Mgahinga has one habituated trans-boundary gorilla group.
The Batwa were self-sufficient – and visitors can see how during afascinating tour with a Batwa guide to learn the secrets of the forest.
Getting there:
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is 510km from Kampala; the most commonly used route passes through Kabale and Kisoro. The 434km journey from Kampala to Kabale can be completed in 8 hours on good tarmac. It is then a further 76km to Kisoro town on a mountainous tarmac road with steep ascents and descents. Mgahinga can also be reached by air using the daily flights from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro airfield.
What to do:
Mgahinga National Park also attracts a sizeable number of tourists interested in hiking three instinct volcanoes of Mgahinga, Muhavura and Sabinyo. For those interested in trekking golden monkeys in Uganda, then Mgahinga is the national park to visit. As part of community and cultural tourism, there is a cultural trail by the Pigmies who used to stay in caves on Mgahinga.
When to go:
Uganda straddles the equator, which bisects the country through its capital, Kampala. This means that the country enjoys a tropical climate with relatively unnoticeable seasonal changes. There is a lot of rain, particularly in the north, while the rain in the south is more regularly interrupted by dry weather.
