Mount Elgon National Park is situated in the eastern part of Uganda tucked along its borders with Kenya. The forested area beautifully grows along the slopes of mountain Elgon. This is said to have been Africa’s highest mountain, following eruption over 24 million years ago, it is the 4th highest in East Africa, the mountain possesses the world’s largest foot base along which are human settlements of the Bantu-speaking people of the Bagisu and Kalenjins, the Bagisu commonly referred to the mountain at Masaba named after their ancestral god and founder it was gazette in d a way of protecting the animal species that call this home and the forest at large elevated at 4321 m above sea level.
Mount Elgon National Park is one of the extinct volcano features said to have erupted over 24 million years ago, at 4000 square kilometers. Mountain Elgon National boasts the world’s largest Caldera. It is vast with a diameter of 80 kilometers, and its highest peak is known as Wagagai, along the slopes of the mountain there is a growing forest, providing a home for flora and fauna. The national park is a trans-boundary one being shared with Kenya. The Ugandan side was gazetted and recognized as an important UNESCO World Heritage site. The wildlife of the national park is underrated but with a stunning explicit beauty, the deserted moorlands, unveil an angelic and untouched kind of wilderness, the highest peak of the mountain at 4321m known as Wagagi. Mammal species in the national park include blue monkeys, hyenas, white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and elephants to mention a few.
Mount Elgon National Park originates many water catchment areas right from the series of beautiful Sipi falls, flowing right from the forest to form magnificent attractive waterfalls, there are well-established trails, for example, the Sipi trail, the Sasa trail that can enable you to reach the bottom of the waterfall, not only Sipi but there are other falls in case one would be interested in a different hike like the Chebonet waterfalls. Popular activities of the national park include hiking the Mountain Elgon birding, guided nature walks, and visiting the local community they have a rich cultural background for example the Bagisu have yearly circumcision ceremonies on every year divisible into two as known to the traditionalists, they perform this ritual as a way of transforming the teenagers into adulthood, they will show you different uses of the forest, the food that is collected from the forest to mention their staple food “Malewa” gotten from bamboo shoots.
The National Park is approximately 6 hour’s drive from Kampala the capital of Uganda by road, they have maintained the route to the national; the park is well situated that one can have a stopover in Jinja at the source of the Nile, climb mountain Elgon needs fitness hence advisable to prepare in advance, there is available accommodation for example the Lacam lodge, Sipi travelers inn, Noah’s ark the few facilities available. To enjoy the trip it is important to come prepared with warm clothes, hand gloves, hiking boots, and any other items of a personal nature.