Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Mgahinga National Park is the smallest park there is in Uganda. It lies on the southwestern tip of Uganda in the Kisoro district. Mgahinga covers an area of approximately 33.9 square kilometers that is made of diverse landscapes especially highlands that is to say 3 of the 8 Virunga volcanoes, Muhabura, Sabyinyo, and Gahinga.

The park elevates up to the clouds at the height of between 2227 and 4127 meters above sea level. It is a renowned concentration area of a series of wildlife species especially the primates therefore guests to the park have a chance to observe some of the most exciting primates on the planet endemic to the East African region.

Visitors to the park get lost in the wonderful beauty of the Virunga massif. Mgahinga is a dream come true destination for outdoor recreation lovers and an ideal place for ecosystem research.

A brief history of Mgahinga National Park.

Mgahinga National Park gets its name from a local word Gahinga that means “a pile of volcanic stones” which is the absolute description of the landscape of the National Park. The land where the park lies was first declared a game sanctuary in 1930 by the British colonial government to help protect the wildlife species and their habitat from poachers, hunters, and individuals who were carrying out subsistence agriculture on the land.

The game reserve was later upgraded to National Park status in 1991 by the Ugandan government to further improve on the protection of the primates and other wildlife species within. Tourist activities in the National Park were moving on smoothly until the M23 rebels invaded the forests on the slopes of the mountains in the early 2000s.

Combined efforts from the East African governments, however, managed to wipe out the rebels in November 2013 which brought about the revival of the untroubled tourism activities and still move on smoothly up to today.

Key attractions of the park and uniqueness.

The key attractions of Mgahinga National Park are the mountain gorillas. Mgahinga National Park is home to a section of the world’s only remaining population of the endangered mountain gorillas. The park hosts one fully habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi.

Nyakagezi is an exhilarating family to chill within the forests of Mgahinga due to the calm demeanor possessed by the individuals of the family. It has nine members including silverbacks, female aunties, juveniles, and infants.

The uniqueness of Mgahinga National Park lies in the most striking features, the volcanic cones that provide breathtaking views as they interconnect with the clouds thus adding up to the beauty of the international park.

It boasts of its unique biodiversity, especially the large scale of mammals it hosts, beautiful birds, insects, and amphibians.

Other things to see in Mgahinga National Park.

The three volcanoes. Mgahinga National Park is made up of three attractive volcanoes that are good for a series of activities. Observing them interconnect with the skies is such a marvelous experience. The volcanoes are a section of the vast Virunga mountain ranges.

Lakes. Mgahinga National Park also has beautiful lakes within it that attract travelers. The lakes support various exploration activities and are good for relaxation purposes. The lakes Mulehe and Mutanda provide breathtaking views that are good for photography and videography and most notably sightseeing.

Mgahinga forest. The forest comprises several tree species and ferns that are attractive. The fact that they are home to a variety of primates makes visits to them even more satisfying.

Activities to do when in Mgahinga National Park.

Gorilla trekking. This activity helps visitors to have a close encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas. Visitors are presented with the opportunity to observe the gentle giants’ fascinating behaviors and how they interact with each other in their families.

Golden monkey trekking. It is important to note that Mgahinga is the only National Park in Uganda that hosts the golden monkeys. Having the opportunity to observe these exciting primates up close is such a thrilling adventure and a strong reason why one should check out the park.

Volcano hiking. Travelers to the park can also indulge in hiking through the tropical rainforests on the volcanoes. The hikes to the summits of the volcanoes unveil the breathtaking beauty underlying including the views of the magnificent lakes and the lush vegetation.

Bird watching.  Various species of birds live in the forests on the slopes of the mountains in the National Park. Therefore, visitors to the park get opportunities to observe beautiful bird species especially African paradise flycatchers, sunbirds, hammerkops, African fish eagles, turacos, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black bee eaters, cinnamons, cuckooshrike, egrets and songbirds.

Batwa cultural experience. The Batwa homesteads are on the outskirts of the National Park. The tourist guides conduct visits to the homesteads to allow the visitors to have a deep insight into the lives of these pygmoid people and learn more about their adaptability to the forests and the mountainous region.

When to visit Mgahinga and how to access it.

Visitors wishing to explore Mgahinga should endeavor to travel to the park during the dry seasons. The dry seasons in the country usually run from June to September and from December to early March.

They are characterized by steady grounds and low rainfall therefore visitors can trek and hike through the mountainous terrain with limited interruptions.

Mgahinga National Park can be accessed both by road and air transport whereby road transport users can travel on the Kampala – Mbarara – Kisoro road. The National Park is 497 kilometers from Kampala, a journey that consumes around 9 hours and 35 minutes.

Travelers can also opt to fly to the park by boarding flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip in the South where they can be picked up by tourist guides to continue to the park and embark on their exciting adventures.