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Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is situated in the southwestern corner of Uganda, in the Kisoro district. It is part of the greater Virunga Conservation Area, which includes Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park and the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park. Originally established as a game reserve, the park was elevated to national park status in 1991, primarily to safeguard the mountain gorillas that were often in conflict with local communities living around the park.
Despite being Uganda’s smallest national park, covering just 34 square kilometers, Mgahinga stands out for its exceptional natural beauty and diverse ecosystems. The park is named after the Kinyarwanda term “Gahinga,” which refers to the small lava stones often found in gardens at the foot of the mountains. Mgahinga is characterized by a variety of landscapes, including savannah grasslands, woodlands, tropical forests, bamboo forests, montane forests, marshes, and semi-alpine vegetation.
The park is home to three dormant volcanoes—Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo, and Mount Muhabura—each of which is part of the Virunga mountain range. These towering peaks, which reach altitudes between 2,000 and 4,000 meters, create a stunning backdrop for the park’s diverse habitats. The climate is influenced by these mountains, bringing frequent rainfall and a cool, refreshing breeze.
Mgahinga is also an important water catchment area, with numerous streams flowing from crater lakes and swamps at the mountain summits, eventually feeding into rivers that support nearby communities.
The park is best known for its population of mountain gorillas, but it is also home to a rich variety of wildlife, including endangered golden monkeys, vervet monkeys, spotted hyenas, serval cats, red-tailed monkeys, baboons, leopards, buffaloes, and bushbucks. Several species of primates such as mangabeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and golden cats also inhabit the park. In addition, reptiles like snakes, geckos, and chameleons, as well as numerous bird species, can be found within the park’s diverse ecosystems.
The Bafumbira, Batwa, and Bakiga people are the primary indigenous groups residing around the park. These communities rely on subsistence farming, with terraced agriculture on the mountainsides. However, population pressure and the resulting need for more resources have led to encroachment on the park’s land, causing deforestation in areas close to human settlements. Despite these challenges, conservation efforts by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have led to a more harmonious relationship between the local communities and the park authorities, helping to reduce poaching and promote community-based tourism.
Though small, Mgahinga offers a wide range of activities for visitors. The park’s main attraction is, of course, gorilla trekking, but there are several other exciting experiences to enjoy:
Mgahinga is home to the Nyakagezi gorilla group, one of the largest habituated mountain gorilla groups in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. These gorillas are typically easier to locate than other groups, as they have remained in Uganda for the past five years after a period of frequent movement between Rwanda and the DRC. Gorilla trekking usually begins with a briefing at the visitor center in Ntebeko. Depending on the location of the gorilla group, the trek can take between two to three hours. The cost of a gorilla permit is $600, and the best time for trekking is from June to August.
Mgahinga is one of the few places in the world where visitors can track golden monkeys, a subspecies of blue monkeys that are endemic to the Virunga region. Golden monkeys are playful and active, often found in large groups of up to 80 individuals, feeding on bamboo shoots and insects. Tracking these monkeys can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours, and visitors are allowed to observe them for one hour. The cost of golden monkey permits is $100.
For adventurous travelers, hiking the three volcanoes—Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo, and Mount Muhabura—offers a unique challenge. Mount Sabyinyo is the most popular, standing at 3,669 meters and offering the chance to stand in three countries (Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC) at once. Hiking to the summit takes approximately six hours, while climbing all three volcanoes over the course of three days provides stunning views of the surrounding landscapes, including the Virunga mountain range and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Mgahinga is a haven for birdwatchers, with over 110 species recorded in the park. The best time for birdwatching is between April and May, and October to November, when migratory birds visit the park. Some species to look out for include the Rwenzori Turaco, Regal Sunbird, Olive Thrush, and the Western Green Tinkerbird.
The park offers several nature trails that allow visitors to explore its pristine forests and rich biodiversity. The Border Trail, which takes about five hours to complete, offers the chance to visit the point where Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC meet. Other walks take visitors through local villages, where they can interact with the indigenous Batwa people and learn about their cultural heritage.
The park can be accessed by road or air from Kampala or Entebbe. The distance from Kampala to Kisoro, the nearest town, is approximately 509 kilometers, which takes around 9 hours by car. Alternatively, visitors can fly to Kisoro Airstrip from Entebbe or Kajjansi. Daily flights are available on Mondays and Fridays, and local transfers to the park can be arranged.
Mgahinga is also easily accessible from Rwanda, with the Cyanika and Katuna borders providing a direct route into Uganda. This option is especially popular for travelers coming from Kigali, which is less than four hours away from the park.
