Discover the Best of Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park is a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve located along the border between Uganda and Kenya. The park covers an area of 494 square miles. A larger part (430 square miles) of the park is on the Ugandan side of the border. The Ugandan section was elevated from a forest reserve into a national park in 1992. The park gets its name from Mount Elgon which is a prominent physical feature in the park. Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano that erupted over twenty four million years ago. It is the highest volcanic mountain in East Africa and the 8th highest mountain in Africa.
Mount Elgon has the largest caldera in the world which is about 60 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide. This particular Caldera is a result of magma getting drained from the bottom leading to the collapse of the cone. Scientists believe that at one point in time, Mount Elgon was the highest mountain Africa before millions of years of erosion reduced its height substantially.
The fertile slopes of Mount Elgon encourage the group of vegetation that varies depending on altitude. They include montane forests in the lower areas, bamboo forests on higher grounds and alpine-moorlands towards the summit. Over 400 species of plants and 143 of birds have been recorded. Half of Uganda’s species of butterflies are found in Mount Elgon National Park with the endangered Maathai’s Lonleg dragonfly was discovered in 2000. The lower slopes of the mountains support a variety of mammals like black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, buffalos, elephants, red-tailed monkeys, spotted hyena, Oribi, Defassa waterbuck, Bushbucks and smaller antelopes
Explore The Activities at Mountain Elgon National Park
Visiting waterfalls:
Spiritual, Community and Cultural Encounters:
Visiting waterfalls:
The rivers that flow from the top of the mountain pass though cliffs forming beautiful waterfalls. The Sipi fal are the most attractive waterfalls in the area. These beautiful falls are located just outside the park boundary before the Forest Exploration Centre. Reaching the falls requires hiking through local village homes and farmlands. The areas around the falls have hotels and lodges of good quality. Apart From the Sipi Falls, other waterfalls can be sighted in Bulago, Chebonet, Sisyi and Wanale.
Sport fishing
Spiritual, Community and Cultural Encounters:
Visiting waterfalls:
The Mount Elgon and Sipi Falls are known for having mountain/rainbow trout. These fish fascinates anglers because of their beautiful colors and act of struggling when caught. In the Sipi area, the fish are caught and released back to the water. For the highest possible success, the activity needs to start in the morning. Guides and are available to take anglers to the best fishing spots. Anglers need to move have their own fishing gear and permit. Other packing items include lunch and drinking water.
Spiritual, Community and Cultural Encounters:
Spiritual, Community and Cultural Encounters:
Spiritual, Community and Cultural Encounters:
The Bagisu still practice an old culture of initiating young men into adulthood through a series of ceremonies that end with circumcision. No man would be allowed to marry before undergoing the full ritual process and getting circumcised. No lady would marry a man who wasn’t circumcised or had not gone through the standard rituals. During the months of August and December, the whole town and villages of Mbale are full of crowds singing and dancing while escorting young men to receive blessings and gifts from their relatives before heading for the circumcision site. The site brings together thousands of people to witness the public ceremony.
Climbing Mount Elgon:
Climbing Mount Elgon:
Spiritual, Community and Cultural Encounters:
Climbing Mount Elgon has its advantages compared to the Rwenzori Mountains
Climbing Mount Elgon takes between 4 to 6 days depending on the trail used. There are three main starting points – The Salsa Trail, Pisa Trail and Sipi trail. The Salsa Trail also known as the Buddukiro trailhead is a shorter trail but with very steep climbs. It starts from near Mbale town and takes only 4 days to reach the peak. Though it is the most direct route, it goes through the thickest area of the bamboo forests in the park. The second trail is the Pisa trail also known as the Kapkwata trailhead. This trail starts from a forest in Kapkwata and passes through great Podocarpus forests. This is the longest (7 days) but with few steep areas. The trail provides opportunities to view the parks animals and birdlife. The third trail is the Sipi Trail which begins from the Kapkwai forest exploration center. It takes between 4 to 6 days to reach the peak through the Sipi trail.
Bird watching:
Climbing Mount Elgon:
Bird watching:
Bird watching in Mount Elgon national park involves spotting species found nowhere else. Birds can be spotted in several places including the thick shrubs of the park, the Cheptui falls and at the Forest Exploration centre in Kapwai. The park is home to the African Blue Fly-catchers, African Goshawk, Baglafecht Weaver, Black and White Casqued, Chin-spot Batis and the Baglafecht Weaver, black collared Apalis, Black-shouldered Kite, Chubb’s Cisticola, Crowned Hornbills, eastern bronze-naped pigeon, Doherty’s and Luhder’s Bush-Shrikes, Golden Winged and Tacazze sunbirds, Hartlaub’s turaco, Mackinon’s Fiscal, Ross’s and Hartlaubs Turacos, White-chinned Prinia. In Uganda, the endangered Jackson’s Francolin and lammergeyer are only found in Mount Elgon national park
Discover the Beauty of Mountain Elgon National Park
