Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Facts, Location, Map, Reviews

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Facts, Location, Map, Reviews – Mgahinga Gorilla National Park; Where Gold Meets Silver. Our complete guide on Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is all you need to know about this beautiful park. Here you’ll find the most up-to-date information on the park’s attractions, activities, best times to visit, location, and lodging options.

We also teach you how to best organize your safari and provide you with example packages and a free quote to assist you in planning your gorilla safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The Nyakagezi Gorilla Family is the only family that has lived in the park for numerous years. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park, comprising only 33.7 square kilometers. Mgahinga Park was named the third top must-see vacation destination in 2019.

The Guide to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park | Uganda in Video

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was voted the third finest tourist place to shoot. This gorgeous park, which rises to a height of 2,227m – 4,127m above sea level, is home to high altitudes resident species such as mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and 76 mammal species such as gigantic forest pigs, forest buffaloes, golden cats, black-fronted duikers, and many others.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s tiniest safari park, at only 33.7 square kilometers. Learn more about the activities available in Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. This mentality also makes this a good trekking destination, particularly Mount Sabinyo. The park was given the phrase “where silver meets gold” since it has both silverback mountain gorillas and golden monkeys.

Mgahinga is within the Virunga Massif that is comprised of Virunga National Park in Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The Virunga massif is a chain of 8 extinct volcanoes that form the borders of these three countries and habitat to the elusive mountain gorillas. The park is situated in Kisoro district southwestern Uganda on the border of the country with Rwanda and Congo. The park can be accessed either from Uganda or Rwanda by flight or popularly by road using a 4×4 safari vehicle.

Attractions & Activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park | Uganda

Ntebeko Visitor Centre;

The visitor Centre at Ntebeko is the trailhead for nature walks, volcano climbs, and golden monkey and gorilla trekking, Exhibits inside the building explore themes relating to the Virunga environment. A trail along the adjacent drystone Buffalo Wall (built to keep animals out of neighboring farmland) provides good birding and views of the park’s dramatic volcanic backdrop.

Gorilla Tracking;

Following a trail of trampled and snapped vegetation across the slopes of the Virungas to spend an hour in the company of a family of mountain gorillas ranks among the world’s most sought-after wildlife encounters. contact time with Mgahinga’s habituated gorilla group is restricted to one hour and participants must be aged 15 or over.

Golden Monkey Tracking;

Golden Monkeys Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda

Mountain gorillas are not the only endangered primates on the Virungas. The volcanoes are the last stronghold of the golden monkey which can be tracked through its bamboo habitat on the slopes of Mt Gahinga. As with gorillas, contact time with the rare primate is limited t an hour. Visitors who sign up for the habituation experience, however, can spend all day following this striking orange-coated monkey in the company of researchers.

Volcano Climbing;

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park rises upwards to three of the Virunga’s six volcanic summits, all of which can be climbed in a day. Views from peaks – into Rwanda and Congo, and towards the rift valley and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – More than justify the effort. The Park’s highest peak is Muhavura. The ascent passes through montane forest, bamboo stands, and heather groves, before encountering bizarre forms of giant lobelias and groundsels at the summit. The 4,127m summit, which is adorned by a crystal clear crater lake, 40m n diameter, commands panoramic views along the length of the Virunga chain.

Mount Gahinga (3,474m) is the smallest of the Virunga Volcanoes and its bamboo-covered slopes rise up to a lush, swamp-filled crater, about 180m wide. The jagged crew of Sabinyo bears several summits, the highest of which provides the rare privilege of standing 3,669m high whilst in 3 countries – Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC – at once.

Birding;

Kenn birders can seek rare Albertine Rift endemics and other forest birds in a range of scenic locations that include the Sabinyo Gorge (prime habitat of the beautiful Rwenzori Turaco); the saddle between Mounts Gahinga and Sabinyo; and the Boundary Trail at Ntebeko, with its incomparable volcanic backdrop.

The Batwa Trail;

For generations, Mgahinga’s dense forests were home to the indigenous Batwa Pygmies, hunter-gatherers, and warriors, who depended on the forest for shelter, food, and medicine. Today, Batwa guides lead visitors through the lower slopes of the forests, introducing them to their old home and demonstrating the skills they used to survive in it. The highlight of the Batwa Trail is the descent into the Garama Cave for a subterranean performance of music and dance.

Just like its name suggests, the park was created in 1991 to conserve the mountain gorillas that lived within this beautiful area. Between the 1930s and 1950, this area was a game reserve than by 1989 rangers were trained to manage the park. The original inhabitants of the forest who were the Batwa pygmies were relocated to live outside the park in the 1990s. Since then the park has been a great Uganda gorilla trekking safari destination.

Gorillas in Mgahinga National Park

The best time to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is during the dry season when the rains are less and trails less slippery. Situated in the southern corner of the country where there are two seasons in the year, the best time to visit Mgahinga National Park for Uganda gorilla safaris and other activities is during the dry season months. This is mostly during the months of June –August, and December – early February. The dry season is more recommendable because the roads are passable and the trails are not much slippery. The terrain within the park is affected by heavy rains in the rainy season and this can make access to the park difficult. However, the park is open year-round, and depending on your planned trip time you can visit the park.