Situated in Kisoro district of South Western Uganda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park occupies an area of around 33.7 square kilometers, making it the smallest park in Uganda. The most picturesque national park in Uganda is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, another place where Uganda’s endangered mountain gorillas call home. The much larger Virunga Conservation Area, which encompasses neighboring parks in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, includes Mgahinga National Park. Its borders are the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park to the west and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to the south. The summits of the volcanoes form a remarkable backdrop to this stunning area, and their slopes are home to a variety of ecosystems and biological diversity.
Attractions in Mgahinga National Park
The main draw of Mgahinga National Park is its wildlife, which includes approximately 39 different species such as endangered golden monkeys, buffaloes, elephants, and mountain gorillas. Others include; gigantic forest hogs, bushbucks, leopards, spotted hyenas, black faced duikers among others. The Virunga conservation area is home to over 250 different bird species, including the White-necked raven, Black kite, Pin-tailed whydah, Double-collared sunbird, Speckled mouse bird, Fire Finch, Stonechat, and many more. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to approximately 79 different bird species. Three of the volcano series that make up the Virunga Region are found on the Virunga Volcano.
Visitors to the park can enjoy the breathtaking views and hiking opportunities provided by these magnificent mountains. Hiking these three mountains Mt. Sabyinyo, Mt. Gahinga, and Mt. Muhavura is an experience that you won’t soon forget, regardless of your level of competence in mountain climbing. When going on a safari in Mgahinga National Park, one of the main things you shouldn’t miss is the Garama cave. Garama Cave is located 3 km from Ntebeko beneath a plateau that forms the park’s northern perimeter and stretches to a length of 342 meters. Before they were recently relocated, the Batwa people resided in the Garama cave for a long time.
Golden monkey trekking
The second most popular tourist activity in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is golden monkey trekking. With over 5000 types of golden monkeys, the park is the ideal spot to see these endangered apes, who can be identified from other monkey species by their golden fur on the back. Unlike mountain gorillas, golden monkeys have larger social groups consisting of 60–80 members, which enhances the appeal and pleasure of interacting with them.
Best time to Visit Mgahinga National Park
The best months to go gorilla trekking and see golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park are June through August and December through February. This is a better season to go gorilla trekking because there is less rain. Even while March through April and September through November are the ideal months to see birds, it is typically very wet and misty during these months, which makes going on a gorilla hike challenging.