Visiting Mount Elgon national park in the dry season

Visiting Mount Elgon national park in the dry season: Mount Elgon national park is Uganda’s national park in the eastern part of the country.  Mount Elgon national park is located in Mbale district where it extends to Kenya. It was gazetted in 1992 as a national park and it now covers a total area of 1110 sq. km on the Uganda side. Mount Elgon national park was gazetted to protect different attractions among which include animals, birds, vegetation, water sources, and mountains to mention but a few.

Being with so many attractions, Mount Elgon national park is visited by different people from different parts of the world at any time of the year. Today, we are looking at visiting this national park during the dry season which is actually the best season to visit the park.

The dry season in Mount Elgon national park is when the park is receiving plenty of sunshine and little rainfall.  This period has been said to be the best time to visit the park and it’s when a lot of visitors are within the park carrying out different activities, especially hiking.

Reasons for visiting Mount Elgon national park in the dry season

There is little or no rainfall: Tourists need to visit Mount Elgon national park during the dry season because there is little or no rainfall received within the park. June to September and December to February are the best months of the year tourists should visit Mount Elgon national park because they will find little or no rainfall within the park. When there is little or no rainfall, it means that the tourists will carry out activities as planned, they walking trails will be dry and easier to walk through and the roads leading to the park are passable.

Plenty of sunshine: Lots of tourists move out of their homes because of winter and during the dry season, it’s always summer in Uganda. There is good weather in Rwenzori mountains national park characterized by plenty of sunshine. Too much sunshine leaves the hiking/walking trails dry and easier to pass through which allows tourists to access most of the park areas.

Short vegetation cover: Plenty of sunshine and little rainfall leave the vegetation cover in Mount Elgon national park short. This means that tourists will have a clear view of the different attractions that are found with in the park. Different wildlife that have found home in the park will be seen clearly of the vegetation is short and also the nearby areas. Short vegetation cover leads to good photography and videos of different attractions in the park.

Roads leading to the park are passable: During the dry season, there is little or no rainfall received in the country and the roads leading to the park are in good condition. When the roads are in a good state, it means that the tourists will get to the park in time. The nature of the roads determines the time taken to reach the park, when the roads are in good condition, the drivers access the park in time.

Hiking Mount Elgon offers a great chance to encounter the world’s largest calderas

What activities are best done during the dry season in Mount Elgon national park

Mountain Hiking

Hiking Mount Elgon is one of the best done activities in the Mount Elgon national park during the dry season. June to September and December to February are the dry months and these are characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. When the rainfall is little, the hiking trails on the slopes of the mountain stay dry and this makes it easy for the hikers to walk through.

Dry and passable hiking trails on Mount Elgon enable hikers to get to the summit of the mountain at the right time. Apart from dry hiking trails, the vegetation on the slopes of the mountain is short meaning that hikers will get clear views of attraction on the mountain and the surrounding areas. Lastly, the skies are clear during the sunny days giving hikers clear videos, good photography and videos.

Hiking Mountain Elgon starts very early in the morning and hikers are taught about the rules and regulations of the activity which include the does and don’ts. The hikers are assigned armed ranger guides to lead them during the hiking and are driven to the starting points of the hikers. Here hikers with excess luggage can hire porters who will help them carry luggage throughout the whole hike at a fee.

Different hiking trails are used and whichever ever used will come with its own attractions and views. Hiking to the summit of Mount Elgon takes between 4 to 6 days depending on the trail used (Salsa trail, Pisa trail, Sipi trail). During the hike, hikers are able to meet different attractions along the way among which include wildlife, vegetation, rocks, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls to mention but a few.

After 4 to 6 days, hikers will get to the summit and get an opportunity to see the largest caldera in the world which is about 60km long and 40km wide. At the summit, hikers will also be able to see the different attractions on the mountain as well as the nearby areas. Hiking Mount Elgon is $75 per day and this fee includes park entrance fees.

Nature walks in Mount Elgon

Nature walks in Mount Elgon national park are best done during the dry season when there is little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine. When the weather is good it means that walking to different areas of the park will be done at the right time without rainfall stopping you. The nature walk trails are dry and easier to walk through and this allows tourists to access most of the park areas. Nature walks in Mount Elgon will give you an opportunity to see vegetation, waterfalls, valleys, caves, and wildlife to mention but a few.

How to access Mount Elgon national park

Mount Elgon national park can only be accessed using road transport and it takes only a day because it is about 250km from Entebbe the starting point of safaris in Uganda. From Kampala/Entebbe, tourists drive through Mukono, Jinja, Iganga, and Mbale where the national park is located. It takes about 5 to 6 hours to reach Mount Elgon national park and the time taken depends on the speed of the driver, and a number of stopovers.