Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the south-western section of Uganda, in the Virunga Mountains. The park is an extension of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park to the south. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to endangered mountain gorillas and a unique primate known as the Golden Monkey, which can also be found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. The park is one of the few places where these mountain gorillas can be seen, the others being Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located high in the clouds at an altitude of 2227m to 4127m (7306 ft to 13540 ft) and is home to three extinct volcanoes: Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabinyo, and Mount Muhavura, all of which are part of the Virunga range that divides Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda. Mgahinga gets its name from the indigenous word “Gahinga,” which means mounds of volcanic stones scraped from farms at the foot of volcanoes. The park is covered in bamboo forest, Albertine rift montane forest, Ruwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands with tree heath, and an alpine zone at higher elevations.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park, with an area of 33.9 square kilometres (13.1 square miles). The park is home to more than 76 animal species, 180 bird species, and primates. Mgahinga is also a culturally significant site for the indigenous Batwa Pygmies, who hunt and gather and were the first to settle in the forest.
Mgahinga National Park is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

History of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was established as a game sanctuary in 1930 and later upgraded to National Park status in 1991. The primary reason for gazetteing the area, as the name implies, was to protect the rare mountain gorillas that lived in the park’s dense forest as well as the endangered golden monkey.

Attractions Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga National Park, Uganda’s smallest park, is home to over 76 mammal species, including leopards, elephants, giant forest hogs, bush pig buffaloes, bushbuck, black-fronted duiker, rodents, bats, and small predators, among others.

Bird species

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to over 180 bird species, making it a great place to go bird watching. It hosts migratory, permanent residents, and Albertine rift endemic bird species, and some of the birds to watch include western tinkerbirds, handsome spurfowl, collared a palis, dusky crimson-wing, Archer’s ground robin, red-throated Alethe, Rwenzori double-collared sunbirds, kivu ground thrush, Rwenzori turaco, Rwenzori Batis, regal sunbird,

Gorilla and Golden Monkey

Mgahinga is home to endangered mountain gorillas, as the name implies. These apes can only be seen in their natural habitat because they cannot survive anywhere else. They have been habituated to ensure that they are at their best behaviour during human presence and do not alter their natural behaviours. Visiting these creatures is the most rewarding experience one can have. The park also contains endangered Golden monkeys, which can only be found in Uganda.

Activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Gorilla trekking

The main activity in the park is gorilla trekking, which begins with a briefing from the guides at the park headquarters about the dos and don’ts while in the forests. Trekking can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a full day depending on where the gorillas spend their nights. Visiting these primates in their natural habitat may sound dangerous, but it is very safe and rewarding. You are given the opportunity to spend time with these habituated creatures in their home and observe their daily behaviours such as playing, breast feeding, eating, playing, and resting, among others. Please keep in mind that this activity is guided by a professional and requires you to have a trekking permit; no one will be allowed to enter the jungle alone.

Golden Monkey Trekking

Golden monkey trekking is the second-best significant activity in the park; these creatures can only be seen in Mgahinga in all of Uganda; tourists can combine this activity with gorilla trekking to kill two birds with one stone, or perform golden monkey trekking on its own. Trekking these primates lasts between 30 minutes and 3 hours and is not as hard as trekking gorillas. Please keep in mind that this activity is guided by a professional and requires you to have a trekking permit; no one will be allowed to enter the jungle alone.

Mountain Climbing

Mountain climbing is done at three volcanoes located in the core of the park, with varied heights such as Gahinga 3474 metres, Mount Sabinyo 3669 metres, and Mountain Muhavura, the tallest at 4127 metres. Tourists will walk the mountain, going through steep ridges and lush forests of Afro-montane flora, with the potential to see primates, elephants, and several bird species.
Mount Gahinga, the smallest and easiest to hike, offers a crater-filled swamp and giant lobelia on its summit. Mount Sabinyo is unique in that it connects Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mount Muhavura offers views of other Virunga volcanoes, Lake Edward, Queen Elizabeth, and the Rwenzori mountain ranges after you reach the summit.

Bird watching

Mgahinga National Park is home to around 180 bird species, making it an ideal birding destination. There are various areas in the park that are suitable for birdwatching, such as the montane forest, bamboo belt, gorge route between Gahinga and Sabinyo, and so on. Bird lovers will be able to see species such as the brown-crowned Tchagra, regal sunbird, blue-headed sunbird, streaky seedeater, Rwenzori bati, bronze sunbird, turtle dove, olive thrush, red-faced woodland, alpine chat, scarlet tufted malachite sunbird, montane double-collared sunbird, and crowned crane, to name a few.

Cultural encounter

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was once home to the Batwa pygmies before they were evacuated and the area turned into a park. These people were hunters and gatherers, and tourists have the opportunity to meet them during this activity. They can experience their ancient ways and cultures, as well as how they harvest honey, hunt, and gather. Please keep in mind that this activity is exclusively led by local guides who are intimately familiar with these people.

How to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is accessible via both road and air transport.
To reach the park headquarters, tourists can drive from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka-Mbarara highway and Kabale-Kisoro highway.
Tourists will drive from Rwanda to the park via the Cyanika border, which will take around 3 to 4 hours.
By Air: Fly from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro airstrip, then drive to park headquarters or accommodations.

Best Time to Visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga is open year-round, although the best time to come is during the peak of the dry season, which runs from June to August and January to February. This is due to the fact that there are fewer rains during the dry season, the roads are more accessible because they are murram, and climbing and trekking are easier. During the wet season, paths become muddy and slippery, making trekking extremely challenging.

Accommodations at in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga National Park has a number of accommodation facilities for tourists to use during their Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Safari, including Chameleon Hill Lodge, Traveler’s Rest Hotel, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge to name a few.