It’s located in far southwestern Uganda in the Kisoro district. MGNP is the smallest park in Uganda at the size of 33.7 square Kilometers. It was declared a game sanctuary in 1930 and ranked National Park status in 1991. The word Gahinga means a pile of volcanic stones declared cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is situated in Mountainous region at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m. The park was established to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the endangered beautiful golden monkey which colonizes the bamboo forest found in the park.
Mgahinga’s most striking features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga Range that lies along the border region of Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda. Mgahinga forms part of the much larger Virunga Conservation Area which includes adjacent parks in these countries. The volcanoes’ slopes contain various ecosystems and are biologically diverse, and their peaks provide a striking backdrop to this gorgeous scenery.
Mgahinga protects over 76 mammals like forest elephants, giant forest hogs, bush pigs, forest buffaloes, and leopards. Birds include over 180 species including 14 endemic Albertine.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is part of the Virunga region together with Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The park can be visited all year round but the dry season is the best; December to February and June to July though there are two wet seasons, from September to November and March to May.
Things to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mountain Gorilla Trekking
It should be noted that Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has one habituated gorilla family called the Nyakagezi gorilla group. In the past, the Nyakagezi gorilla group used to visit all three Virunga gorilla parks namely: Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and now the group has settled in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (MGNP), and ready to be visited on daily basis. Gorilla Trekking is the top tourist activity in Uganda and the cost of a gorilla permit goes up to US$800.
Gorilla trekking in MGNP starts with a briefing at the park headquarters by ranger guides at 7:30 am and at 8 am, visitors are grouped into a maximum of eight people to visit each gorilla group. Since gorillas stay in the natural environment, the trekkers are expected to walk for at least 2 hours before meeting Mountain Gorillas. On meeting Gorillas, a maximum of 1hr is given to see, chat, and take photos of the gentle giants.
Golden Monkey Trekking
It’s the second most popular activity after Gorilla trekking. Trekkers who are not fit enough to meet gorillas can try golden monkey trekking because it’s less fitness-challenging. Golden monkeys’ daily locations are easily detected based on their feeding culture. They prefer feeding on bamboo vegetation and so, are frequently found in mambo forests.
Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking
It’s all-year-round activity, from April to mid-May and from October to November when fruits are abundant. June and July have the least rain, then March to mid-May have the most rain. Note, that the heavy rains might result in the interruption of bird watching due to impassable roads and slippery hiking trails.
Batwa Pygmies tour
The Batwa or African pygmies lived and thrived in these forests and mountains as hunter-gatherers. They were later displaced but some of them still live around the park to participate in the tourism industry as porters and guides. They are also entitled to a portion of the tourism proceeds and a tip for their guide services will be welcome.
A Batwa trail experience is an activity that takes you through their history and transition over time. The Garama Cave, a very sacred piece of Batwa history is a good place to start. It is in this cave that they were able to hide from the Bantu invasion many years back. The ease with which they bustle through the forest and glide uphill is awe-striking and a reminder that east or west, home is best to the Batwa.
Nature walks in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – nature walks in Mgahinga are best enjoyed for a half day along interesting nature trails concentrating on the forest zone that spans out of Ntebeko. The most rewarding birder trail is the Sabinyo Gorge Trail hike through the heath around Ntebeko into a stand of bamboo forest before following a small stream through the lushly forested gorge.
