Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Gorilla Trekking: Mgahinga National Park is situated in the southwestern region of Uganda in Kisoro district. This national park covers a total surface area of 34km², thus making it the smallest national park in the country.
The national park derives its name from the local word ‘Gahinga,’ which means a pile of volcanic stones cleared for farmland, at the foot of the volcanoes. It was first established as a game sanctuary in 1930, to protect the endangered primate species such as mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. The park was later gazetted as a national park in 1991.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is elevated at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m above sea level. The national park has one habituated transboundary mountain gorilla group, which is a major attraction in the park.
The park encompasses three extinct volcanic mountains namely; Mount Sabyinyo; which stands at an altitude of 3,669m, Mount Gahinga; standing at 3,474m and Mount Muhavura, elevated at 4,127m in altitude. All these mountains fall under the Virunga Mountain Range.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park lies in the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is part of the Virunga Conservation Area and includes adjacent national parks in Rwanda and Congo.
Mgahinga National Park in Uganda is home to only one habituated gorilla group, called the Nyakagezi gorilla group. One unique aspect of trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is that the gorillas are shared by Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo; in addition to this, visitors can easily locate the gorillas.
Visitors trekking the Nyakagezi gorilla group in Mgahinga should know that the group consists of 9 members; including 2 silverbacks, 3 adult females, 2 Juveniles, and 2 infants.
Gorilla trekking activities in Mgahinga National Park commence at the park’s headquarters in Ntebeko at exactly 8 am. Visitors are advised to be at the Ntebeko Park entrance gate by 7 am; it is very important that visitors doing gorilla trekking in the park, always keep time.
Gorilla trekking in the park usually begins with a briefing of tourists by the head ranger at the park and a set of rules and guidelines to follow before, after, and during tracking.
Visitors trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park MUST be in a group of 8 members only and tracking usually takes between 4-6 hours; with an hour of direct contact with the gorillas.
Mountain gorilla trekking in Mgahinga is easy as compared to Bwindi National Park because locating the gorillas in the park’s forest is much easy and less tedious. The gorilla trekking activity in the park involves hiking through the park’s forested vegetation and identifying fresh gorilla droppings, with the aim of locating the gorillas.
Visitors trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park in Uganda should pack the following essentials; a good pair of hiking boots, sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat/ cap, a raincoat, mineral water, a packed lunch/ snacks, and a camera.
There are some accommodation facilities that offer visitors trekking gorillas in Mgahinga and these include; Lake Mutanda Chameleon Hill Lodge, Kisoro Traveler’s Rest Hotel, River Mucha Hotel, Amajambere Iwacu Camp and Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Safari Lodge among others.
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park can be done throughout the year. However, the best time for visitors to trek gorillas in the park would be during the two dry seasons; which are between mid-December- February and June- October. During this period, it is much easier for visitors to hike through the forests and walk the trail paths in the national park.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be accessed by road and air. The national park is located about 494km from Kampala City via Kabale-Kisoro; which is about 8 hours of driving till you get to the park’s headquarters.
Alternatively, travelers can fly from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip which takes about an hour. The Kisoro Airstrip is close to Mgahinga National Park and hence is a convenient means of travel.
It is no doubt that gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park is an exciting and adventurous activity, that travelers visiting Uganda should not miss out on.
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