There was a time when Mt Elgon was Africa’s highest mountain, rising far beyond Kilimanjaro’s 5,895 meters but due to continuous erosive impact from the vagaries of nature, its highest peak, Wagagai has through millennia reduced to a respectable 4,321 meters making it the 4 th highest peak in East Africa and 8th on the continent.
Located 235 kilometers out of Kampala, in Kapchorwa, Eastern Uganda and gifted with stunning rock formations, waterfalls, bamboo forests, hot springs and Jackson’s pool, Mt Elgon National Park shares a border with Kenya, spreading either side of the two brotherly nations and is home to the largest and oldest solitary volcanic mountain in East Africa.
The towering Mt Elgon stretches over 80 kilometers in diameter and rises over 3,000 meters beyond the surrounding plains, offering perfect hiking and mountain climbing opportunities for the adventurer seeking new thrills and relishing a daunting yet rewarding hike up Wagagai (4,321m), Mubiyi (4,211m) and Masaba (4,161) peaks on the Ugandan side of the Elgon.
Mt Elgon National Park is famed for its special flora especially on the mountain slopes including the extremely rare Romulea congoensis, Carduus afromontanus, Ardisiandra wettsteinii to name a few. The wildlife scenery is home to elephants, buffaloes, forest monkeys, antelopes, blue and colobus monkeys which all contribute to a rich biodiversity that has led to the park being declared a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve.
Such is the splendor of Mt Elgon National Park that it offers the option of transboundary hiking, starting an exhilarating ascent at any of Sipi, Sasa or Piswa trails in Uganda only to enjoy refreshing descent in Kenya. A memorable hiking safari in Mt Elgon National Park offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to traverse the world’s largest intact mountain caldera while enjoying breathtaking views like the Suam gorge, glimpsing stunning wildlife, birds and hot springs.
Mt Elgon National Park’s birding culture holds deep significance for the birding expert, offering opportunities to spot over 300 different bird species including the endangered Lammergeier, commonly known as the bearded vulture, African Goshawk, Chubb’s Cisticola, Chinspot Batis, Moorland Francolin, Mustached Green Tinkerbird and Alpine Chat among so many others.
A cultural expedition will bring one face to face with the Sabiny, Bagisu and Ndorobo tribes, the third being the marginalized tribe and forced to live deep inside the Benet Forest. Interacting with these rich cultures introduces one to the intense Imbalu or circumcision ritual, an initiation rite for young men into adulthood.
Largely unexplored and ultimately uncongested, Mt Elgon National Park is the perfect destination for the quiet and reflective traveler seeking to renew, recharge and reconnect with nature in a unique location whose iconic history lends credence to its legendary status.
Visit Mt Elgon National Park today!