Mount Elgon national park

Mount Elgon national park: Nested in the eastern part of Uganda in Mbale district is Mount Elgon national park. Mount Elgon national park is a 1110 sq. km piece of land gazetted in 1992 by Uganda Wildlife Authority a government agency protecting and managing different national parks in the country. Mount Elgon national park was gazetted to protect different attractions which included animals, birds, water sources, and Mount Elgon to mention but a few.

Mount Elgon national park is famous for being the home to Uganda’s second highest mountain, Mount Elgon, and the world’s largest caldera lake. Mount Elgon is the second tallest mountain in Uganda and Wagagai is the highest peak at 4321 meters above sea level. Mount Elgon national park is located in the eastern part of Uganda and in the western part of Kenya where it extends for 196 sq. km.

Mount Elgon park harbors incredible attractions that tourists can explore by taking part in different tourism activities. With the park opening all throughout the year, tourists can always visit the protected area and carry out different activities like hiking, nature walks, bird watching, rock climbing, and mountain biking to mention but a few.

What attractions are found in Mount Elgon national park

Mountain Elgon

Mountain Elgon is the major attraction found in Mount Elgon national park and it has attracted thousands of tourists from different parts of the world each year. The mountain is found on the eastern side of the national park near the borders with Kenya. Mount Elgon attracts lots of hikers from different parts of the world because it’s famous for being the second-tallest mountain in Uganda.

Mountain Elgon is the second tallest mountain in Uganda with the highest peak being Wagagai at 4321 meters above sea level. It’s the well-trained hikers and those who are fit enough who are able to reach the summit of Mount Elgon. Hiking is the main activity carried out on Mountain Elgon and the activity enables the hikers to explore the magnificent mountain and its attractions like wildlife, water sources, and the largest caldera lake at the summit.

Hiking Mount Elgon is a very affordable activity on Mount Elgon where hikers pay for the number of days they will be able to hike. Getting to the summit of Mountain Elgon takes 4 to 5 days where by each day hikers do walk for 7 to 8 hours and then rest. Hiking is a guided activity where armed ranger guides walk with you until you complete the hiking.

Birds

Over 300 bird species are said to be living in different areas of Mountain Elgon national park. These birds have attracted a lot of birders who visit the park and carry out bird watching activities. Of the 300 bird species, about 40 bird species are only found within Mount Elgon national park for example black shouldered kite, tacazze sunbird, Jacksons francolin and lammergeyer among others.

Other notable bird species in Mount Elgon national park include white chinned prinia, African goshawk, red-chested owlet, lanner falcon, little bee-eater, rameron pigeon, purple throated cuckoo shrike, narina trogon, hadada ibis, African paradise flycatcher, peregrine falcon, tropical boubou, black-tailed oriole, grey-backed fiscal, black goshawk, streaky seedeater, white-bellied tit, red-fronted parrot.

European bee-eater, red-chested cuckoo, cassin’s hawk-eagle, yellow-billed barbet, African wood owl, grey-throated barbet, moustached tinkerbird, tambourine dove, speckled mousebird, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, mountain buzzard, double toothed barbet, Nyanza swift, barn owl, rufous necked wryneck, white stork, grey crowned crane, cardinal woodpecker, and ross’s turaco to mention but a few.

Animals

Not so many animals are found in Mountain Elgon park but there are a few that are finding there home there and tourists can see them when they take part in different park activities. Mountain Elgon national park is a habitat of animals such as Elephants, leopards, cape buffaloes, de brazza’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and blue monkeys to mention but a few.

Sipi falls

Sipi falls are an attraction on the north western slopes of Mountain Elgon national park in a village named Sipi. The Sipi falls are a series of 3 prominent water falls with the longest dropping from 100m, the second waterfall from 85m, and the third waterfall from 75m.  It’s a 10 km hike to get to Sipi falls and the tourists are in position to see the magnificent waterfalls.

Sipi falls get its name from Sipi River which gets its water from Mountain Elgon. Tourists who are interested in knowing more about the Sipi falls can always take a visit to the falls on their way to and from Mountain Elgon national park. There are guides at the Sipi falls who will tell you all the information you need to know about the falls.

When to visit Mountain Elgon national park

Tourists can visit Mountain Elgon national park at any time of the year however some months are better than others. The dry season months are the best to visit Mountain Elgon national park and enjoy different park activities. June to September and December to February are the best times tourists need to visit Mount Elgon national park because they have good weather.

During the dry season, tourists will enjoy Mountain Elgon national park activities for there is little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The vegetation is short with good views of different attractions along the way. Those going for Mount Elgon hiking will find the hiking trails dry and passable and then the roads leading to the park are in very good condition.

Tourists can still visit Mountain Elgon national park for different activities during the rainy season of March to May and October to November. The rainy period favors budget travelers who may be looking at discounted tour packages. Tourists visiting Mount Elgon national park during the rainy season should know that there is too much rainfall and little sunshine within the park.

The vegetation tends to grow tall during the rainy season and this gives tourists unclear views of some of the attractions within the park. Hikers will find the hiking trails muddy and slippery during the rainy season which will affect their hiking speed. Lastly, too much rainfall may end up making the roads muddy and slippery which increases the time taken to access the park.

Getting to Mount Elgon national park

Accessing Mount Elgon national park found on the eastern side of Uganda and is best accessed using road transport. The national park is located about 240 km from Entebbe and can be accessed in 5 to 6 hours with the time taken depending on the speed of the driver. From Entebbe, tourists go through Kampala, Mukono, Jinja, Iganga to Mbale where the national park is located., the park