Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Uganda's smallest park (33.7km²) protects mountain gorillas and other fauna on the Ugandan slopes of the Virunga volcanoes.  Though small in size, Mgahinga contains a dramatic, panoramic backdrop formed by three volcanoes. Mgahinga has one habituated gorilla group.  Mgahinga Gorilla National Park covers the slopes of Muhuvura, Gahinga and Sabinyo at an altitude of between 2,227m near Ntebeko Park HQ and 4,127m on the summit of Mt. Muhuvura. Though small in size, just 33.7km², it adjoins Volcanoes NP in Rwanda and Virunga NP in Congo. Collectively, these three parks form the trans-boundary Virunga Conservation Area (VCA).

The most famous inhabitant of Mgahinga and the VCA is the endangered mountain gorilla. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is 524km from Kampala. A surfaced highway runs via Mbarara and Kabale to Kisoro. The 80km road between Kabale and Kisoro is a winding drive through mountainous terrain with steep ascents and descents. Beyond Kisoro, a rough, 14km road with steep, rocky sections ascends to the park headquarters at Ntebeko. Mgahinga can also be reached by daily flights from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro airfield. Gorilla tracking starts daily at 0800 at the Ntebeko Visitor Centre and typically lasts 3-5 hours.  Permits must be booked in advance through the convenience of African Moments Safaris. Though the gorillas hog the limelight, they are not the only endangered primates on the Virungas. The volcanoes are the last viable stronghold of the golden monkey which can be tracked through its bamboo habitat on the slopes of Mt. Gahinga. 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 NP rises upwards to three of the Virunga's six volcanic summits, all of which can be climbed in a day. Views from the 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. Its 4,127m summit is adorned by a crystal clear crater lake, 40m in diameter, and commands panoramic views along the length of the Virunga chain. Muhuvura is the only mountain in SW Uganda to display the full range of altitudinal vegetation zones peculiar to East Africa's highest mountains. The hike to the top passes through montane forest, bamboo stands and heather groves, before encountering bizarre forms of giant lobelias and groundsels at the summit.