Mount Elgon National Park

Mt. ELGON NATIONAL PARK-World’s largest mountain caldera.

Mount Elgon National park is made of on the 4321m high Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda. The park is 1145 sqkm and the border with Kenya divides the mountain forming two National parks which protect flora and fauna in both countries. It is also a Transboundary conservation area and UNESCO has declared it a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve. 

An 80km in diameter massive and extinct volcano with its vast rising from 3000m above the hot and dusty plains of Karamoja provide a cool respite for humans and a refuge for plant and wildlife. The park is home to large mammals like the rarely seen buffalo and elephants, bush duikers, butterflies, and about 300 species of birds plus the curious Afromontane plants peculiar to East Africa’s highest mountains. 

The highest peak of Mount Elgon lies along the jagged rim that encloses a giant Caldera, 8km across. The ‘mountain of illusion’ tag derives from historic confusion regarding the true summit of the mountain. The Bagisu, a local tribe named their candidate as seen from their side of the Mountain as Masaba after their founding deity. European Climbers found Masaba to be a 4165m high volcanic plug on the Mountain’s flank lower than the Mubiyi peak at 4209m named after Masaba’s supposedly diminutive wife. Subsequent expeditions made cases for various high spots along the Caldera rim before the 4321m Wagagai, overlooked in the Southwest corner of the caldera rim was finally identified as the true summit. 

What to do at the park

Mountain climbing

Mt. Elgon has a milder climate, lower elevation, and is less strenuous than most of the climbs in Eastern Africa. It is an alternative for most of the visitors who are not so experienced and it can be climbed all year.

The Sasa, Sipi, and Piswa trails lead visitors to Wagagi which is the highest peak. Sasa is the shortest route and a round trip of 4 days can take you to the peak, the Sipi trail takes 5-6 days and 7 days for the Piswa trail. Depending on the trail you take you can enjoy the views of the Karamoja, Jackson’s pool and table, Mbuyi rocks, and a variety of plants like the giant lobelia that grow at higher altitudes.  

 Birding

The secondary forest at Kapkwai Forest and the thick shrubs along the trail to Cheptui falls are excellent birding spots at the park. The park’s 300 bird species that are hosted here include Moustached Tinker bird, African blue flycatcher, Cinnamon Bee-eater, Black kite, Baglafecht weaver, Chinspot batis, Doherty’s, and Luhders Bush shrikes among others.  

 Nature walks

From Budadiri to the Mudange cliff which is referred to as the “walls of death” at the boundary of the park, it is a full-day nature walk that will bring you close to primates in the forest like the blue monkey, black, and colobus monkey and baboons. Also, visitors can take on Sipi falls tour.  

The falls are a series of three prominent waterfalls on the Sipi River that over the 3 basalt cliffs during its descent to the plains beneath. The longest drops are as high as 100m, second drops are 75m below and have upper cascades before the plunge. The third waterfall plunges 85m and is tall and columnar.

 How to get there

Mt. Elgon is in Eastern Uganda 240km from Kampala. A drive from Kampala via Jinja and Mbale towns before reaching Kapchorwa brings you to the base of the mountain. The African brown matt road off the Mbale Kapchorwa road reaches the different trailheads.