Mgahinga National Park- Gorilla Trekking Uganda

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the Virunga Mountains and encompasses three inactive volcanoes, namely Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Sabyinyo. In altitude the national park ranges from 2,227 to 4,127 m (7,306 to 13,540 ft) and is part of the Nile River watershed area. It is contiguous with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the southern sector of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It being the smallest national game park in Uganda covering an area of 33.9km squared it is located in the South-Western corner of Uganda (kisoro district) near the border between Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.

Mountain gorillas in Uganda have a second home. Gorilla trekking is the most popular activity in Mgahinga.  Cute golden monkeys and mountain gorillas can only be spotted in Mgahinga  Gorilla tracking in mgahinga is thought to be better than that of  Bwindi because the one habituated group has many members and are easily located. Mgahinga receives fewer tourists compared to Bwindi and hence there is no issue of large crowds or privacy.

Apart from the primates, Mgahinga national park stands out because of its three inactive volcanoes – Gahinga, Sabyinyo and Muhabura. These volcanoes are part of the wider Virunga ranges of mountains that include Karisimbi, Bisoke.

Hiking to the top of these volcanoes will reward tourists with breathtaking views of the Virunga ranges, Mount Rwenzori and DR Congo. Reaching the summit of mount Muhabura allows one to step in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo at the same time.

The batwa pygimies are also found in mgahinga like it is in bwindi impenetrable. Working as guides in mgahinga are the batwa and within the forest unlike in Bwindi where visitors go to meet the group of the park. Nature walks, visiting other cultural communities and off course bird watching are some of the other attractions in mgahinga.

Things to do & See

Nearest towns

Kabale, Kisoro  towns to the south-east are the nearest main towns to the park, 29 kilometres (18 mi) away by road.  The park is composed of two blocks of forest that are connected by a corridor of forest. The shape of the park is a legacy of previous conservation management, when the original two forest blocks were protected in 1932.

Near by tourists Attractions to Bwindi

There are a number of national parks that are close to Mgahinga National Park that include the Queen Elizabeth National Park & Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park.