MT ELGON NATIONAL PARK

Locally known as Mt. Masaba which is the name of the founding ancestor of the Bagisu who is said to have emerged from a cave on the slopes of the mountain centuries ago, Masaba’s spirit is believed to be personified by Jackson’s summit. Straddling on the Kenya border east of Mbale, Mount Elgon is the eighth highest mountain in Africa, and it rises from the broadest base of any freestanding mountain in the world. Like other major East Africa massifs, Elgon is the relic of an extinction volcano whose formation was associated with the tectonic activity that created the rift valley several years ago.
Mt Elgon is dotted with smaller crater lakes and hot springs created by Pleistocene glacial activity. Its vast form, eighty kilometers in diameter, raises 3070m above the surrounding plains, providing a welcome relief in more than one sense of the word. The mountain’s cool heights offer respite for humans from the hot plains below and its higher altitudes provide a refuge for flora and fauna.

Location
The park is located near Mbale in the Eastern part of Uganda. It covers 1,145 sq km and was named after Mt Elgon 4,321m above sea level, an extinct Volcanic Mountain that lies on the border of Uganda and Kenya. In the ancient times this mountain stood taller than Kilimanjaro Mountain, which is the highest mountain in East Africa. The Mountain is shared by Uganda and Kenya but its highest peak Wagagai peak with 4321m above sea level lies in Uganda. The mountain has got three other major peaks which are Kiongo which is about 4303m, Mubiyi 4210m and Jackson’s summit with 4165m above sea level

Mt. Elgon is an important watershed for various rivers including the Sipi River which forms the famous Sipi falls in eastern Uganda. The slopes support a variety of altitudinal vegetation zones ranging from montane forest to high open moorland studded with the other-worldly giant lobelia and groundsel plants.
Though the spectacular scenery is the main attraction, the park has a variety of fauna species. These include forest monkeys, small antelopes, elephants and buffaloes. The park also harbours over 300 bird species with many species being not recorded elsewhere in Uganda. These birds range from forest birds, as well as several endemic species adapted to East Africa’s montane moorlands. Twelve of the species listed for Elgon have not been in any other Ugandan national park and these include Jackson’s francolin, Moorland Francolin, Moustached green tinker bird, Red-throated wryneck, black-collared apalis, Hunter’s Cisticola, Alpine chat, Marsh Widowbird and Weyn’s weaver.

Other attractions in the park include ancient cave paintings close to the trailhead at Budadiri, spectacular caves and hot springs within the crater, as well as the famous Imbalu dances and ceremonies held by the local people during initiation ceremonies.

Accessibility
The Park lies 235km east of Kampala and can be accessed by road and the journey takes around 3-4 hours from Kampala along a good tarmac road that runs through Jinja to Mbale town at the western mountain’s north-western flank murram roads lead off the mbale-kapchorwa road to reach the trailheads.
Safari activities
Hiking is the major tourism activity. Climbing Mt. Elgon is not so much challenging and therefore can attract both medium climbers and the experienced climbers.
Community visits and participation in Imbalu dances, nature walks from Budadiri trailhead.
Visits to the lovely Sipi Falls for scenic viewing

Accommodation
The park provides self contained cottages and dormitory accommodation at the forest exploration centre in Kapwai. Meals are available on request. There also self catering guesthouses at Kapwai and Suam. There are also accommodations that are provided outside the park, simple accommodation is available at Kapchorwa and Budadiri. Also a range accommodation is found around the scenic Sipi falls and the root of the mountain in Mbale.