Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the far south of the country, adjoining the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. It is 1 of only 2 strongholds in Uganda offering a protected habitat to the Mountain gorillas, while it is Uganda's smallest national park.

Mountain Gorilla

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Highlights

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located on Uganda's far south-western border shared with Rwanda. It is the smallest national park in Uganda, but it forms part of the greater Virunga Conservation Area adjoining with the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Here is 1 of Uganda's 2 populations of protected Mountain gorillas.

There is 1 habituated group of gorillas (as opposed to Bwindi National Park's 12 groups) in Mgahinga and they have the freedom of crossing the fenceless border into Rwanda, making gorilla trekking less reliable in this park.

Mgahinga Gorilla Park headquarters are responsible for protecting Uganda's portion of the Virunga Conservation Area (of which it only makes up 8%). There are 3 of the 8 Virunga Mountains that lie on the Rwanda-Uganda border; all 3 of which can be hiked to in one day by guests staying in the Mgahinga.

PARK AT GLANCE

Size: 33.7km2, making it Uganda’s smallest National Park.

The park takes its name from "Gahinga" - the local word for the piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.

The British administration declared the area a game sanctuary in 1930; it was gazetted as a National Park in 1991.

Mgahinga has one habituated trans-boundary gorilla group.
The Batwa were self-sufficient – and visitors can see how during a fascinating tour with a Batwa guide to learn the secrets of the forest.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m. As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey.

As well as being important for wildlife, the park also has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s “first people”, and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivalled.

Mgahinga’s most striking features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga Range that lies along the border region of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. Mgahinga forms part of the much larger Virunga Conservation Area which includes adjacent parks in these countries. The volcanoes’ slopes contain various ecosystems and are biologically diverse, and their peaks provide a striking backdrop to this gorgeous scenery.

Mystery Gorilla Safaris Says

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a tropical rainforest, located at the base of volcanoes. It makes up 8% of the Virunga Conservation Area that is shared between Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC.

Mgahinga also boasts 3 peaks, which are part of the famous and beautiful Virunga Mountain range. These peaks are Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo, and Mount Muhavura, the highest peak in the national park. All peaks can be hiked.

This park was created with the purpose of protecting the Mountain gorilla, but it is also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey, as well as protecting the heritage of the indigenous Batwa pygmy tribe.

Guests at Mgahinga will discover all the nooks and crannies of this mountainous and luscious area. There are many caves dotted along the slopes, one of which has particular Batwa history.

Mgahinga Park Game Viewing and Activities

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park consists of a lush, tropical rainforest at the base of 3 extinct Virunga volcanoes. Plenty of bamboo and mosses are found along the slopes, which aside from creating beautiful scenery, act as a food supply for Mountain gorillas roaming around the area.

This is Uganda's smallest national park at only 33.7 sq km and it is at a high elevation with some peaks reaching over 4000m. The area is full of birdlife, mammal and plant life. Guests can look forward to sightings of the mountain gorillas as they move around the area, but they can move into Rwanda, so sightings in Mgahinga are not reliable.

The local Batwa pygmies are indigenous hunter-gatherers in the area who have lived amid the mountains of Mgahinga for many years. It is an exciting and interesting part of a visit to this park to meet with and speak to the Batwa people. Take a guided tour with them and learn about the names of the volcanic peaks and what history they have.

How to Get There

Uganda is a very special destination in East Africa, neighbouring Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are 10 national parks in Uganda, and due to its small size, most of these destinations are accessible by road including Mgahinga NP.

Mystery Gorilla Safaris will arrange ground transport for their guests depending on prior arrangements from the main international airport which is in Entebbe. This is the primary entry point into the country, located less than 50km from the capital city, Kampala.

Most national parks do have local airstrips, which can be used for guests to reach their safari destinations in record time, but at quite a cost. Light air transfers to the parks will depart from Entebbe International Airport at scheduled times.

Alternatively, upon arrival in Entebbe, guests will connect with a road transfer arranged by Mystery Gorilla Safaris to take guests to their booked accommodation.

Mgahinga Park Seasons and Climate

Uganda straddles the equator, which bisects the country through its capital, Kampala. This means that the country enjoys a tropical climate with relatively unnoticeable seasonal changes. There is a lot of rain, particularly in the north, while the rain in the south is more regularly interrupted by dry weather.

The game parks and safari destinations in northern Uganda experience rain consistently from March until November, with a noticeable dry season taking over from December to February, which are also the hottest months of the year (up to 40 degrees Celsius). The southern region of the country has less consistent rain and lower temperatures (up to 33 degrees), although rain could be expected at any time.

In the south there is a rainy season from March to May and again from September to November, while drier weather (with drizzle) occurs in mid-summer from December to February. The driest months in the south come with the cooler temperatures in June, July and August (low 20s).