Mountain Elgon National Park is located at close proximity with Mbale district in eastern Uganda. Mountain Elgon is an extinct volcanic mountain with the largest caldera in east Africa. Its cover is 1145 square kilometers found at the border of Uganda and Kenya. Mountain Elgon is the fourth highest mountain in east Africa.

Mountain Elgon has a number of peaks with the highest being Wagagai on the Ugandan side with a height of 4321 m. other peaks may include Jackson’s Summit, Kiongo at 4300 meters and Mubiyi at 4210 meters.

Mountain Elgon National Park is home to a number of mammals such as buffalos, antelopes, elephants, duikers, oribi, desfassa water bucks among others.

Its home to about 300 different bird species such as moorland francolin, black collared alpine etc.

The park has a diversity in its vegetation over with a blend of lush Montana, mixed bamboo forests, a number of wildflowers and other plant species like groundsel, thick shrubs and the lobelia plant.

Attractions in the area

The caldera on top of mountain, springs inside the crater, cater lakes on top, swam gorge. Old cave painting near budadiri as well as caves that are believed to have been the home to Muddu and sella the first people to leave in the mountain.

Simu and sisi falls found in Sironko County in mbale.

Bufumbo and wanale forest reserves, wildlife at Mount Elgon, Primates, Birding and cave exploration.

Mammals like the shy African civets, Bulegeni and Butaadinga cliffs or ridges, Bulukyeka – Bukiga hills.

Embalu dance where mass circumcision of the Bamasaba takes place, it’s usually held in the even years only.

Mbale has Heritage sites like Semei Kakungulu Tomb and Mutoto circumcision sites.  Rivers like Namatala, Nabugoye Synagogue, Sipi falls and the bull fighting competitions.

Mbale golf club, Mbale sports Stadium and mbale cricket grounds.

How to get to Mountain Elgon National Park         

You drive east of Kampala through the through the Kampala jinja high way via the Nile River to mbale town and then to mountain Elgon National park.

Some dirt roads off the Mbale Kapchorwa road lead you to the different trails.

Travel time from Kampala is 8 to 9 hours

Kampala to Mable is 5 hours

Best Time to Visit Mountain Elgon National Park

The best time to visit Mountain Elgon National park is during the dry season between June to August and December to March.  But the park can be visited throughout the year.

Activities in mountain Elgon National Park

Hiking

Mountain Elgon is a serene mountain one of the best in Uganda for hikers and mountain climbers. Some areas a steep and other have steady slopes making it a friendly mountain to challenge during the hike. 

During the hike we have a number of trials that are considered before hiking / climbing mountain elgon and these also vary with the number of days.

The sipi falls trial is 56 kilometers and this takes tourist 4 to 6 day to hike.

Sasa Trial happens to be the shortest trail and hiking it takes about 4 days. 

Piswa trial takes 7 days hike and for a 49 kilometer hike  and while on these hikes we come across a number of attractions such as the ancient caves, view the peaks at  different angles , scenic views of the might sipi falls with its 3 water fall and a number of springs from up the mountains

Bird Watching

The park has about 300 bird species and 40 species are endemic to mountain Elgon.  The thick shrubs in Kapkwai, along the cheptui falls giving a good birding haven for birders. Bird’s species such as African Blue Fly catchers, African goshawk and bee eaters.

Nature walk

While in Mountain Elgon National Park the nature walk is a guided nature walk through the different trials.  While on the different walks we shall come across a number of bird species

The nature walk trails include the following

3 km walk to Kapkwai caves, 11 km hike to tutum cave.

The Bamboo trial to Kapkwai cave takes you through the bamboo and some tropical forests. The trial is estimated to take about 4 hours since it covers 7 km

One can also do the chebonet walk that leads us to the chebonet falls in a 5 km walk.

Cultural Encounters

With culture encounters visitors get to engage a number of community activities with the surrounding at park. These include learning about the norms, culture and ways of living of the various tribes of the community such as the Bagisu tribe who live along the outskirts of the park. The Bagisu or the Bamasaba have an interesting cultural / traditional norm called the Imbalu were boys are circumcised to show a transition to adult hood and it shows you’re a man. Visitors usually travel to the region in even years to witness the cultural ceremony of circumcision.

One can stretch to kapchorwa home to the might sipi falls and the sabiny tribe and also engage in a number of activities combined with hiking the sipi falls. You shall engage in the coffee tour that involves learning how to grow /plant coffee until when it’s ready for harvest and even to the usage stage all in one day. You have chance to interact with the locals of the area and also enjoy the delicious local meals. 

Sample trips for Mountain Elgon National Park

4 Days Mountain Elgon Climbing Safari

4 Days Sipi Falls and Source of the Nile Experience