Mountain Elgon National Park covers an area of 169 square kilometers and is divided by the border of Uganda and Kenya. This was founded in 1992 in Uganda. Consisting of Mount Elgon with the montane forest and Wagagai Peak as the highest in the park. Mount Elgon is home to two tribes: the Bagishu and the Sabiny. The park is about 229km from Kampala, which is approximately a 3-4 hour drive from Kampala through Jinja to Mbale town, and you can also use air transport from Entebbe airport to Soroti.
ANIMALS in Mountain Elgon National Park
Mammals: elephants, antelopes, duikers, forest monkeys like black and blue colobus, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, leopards, hyenas, buffalos, defassa waterbucks, oribis, and bushbucks
BIRDS
The park is home to 300 bird species, which include Jackson’s spurfowl, tacazze sunbird, Hartlaub’s turaco, the eastern bronze-naped pigeon, black-shouldered kite, Jackson’s francolin, and lammergeyer.
Mountain Elgon National Park AREAS OF INTEREST
Mount Elgon caves. The mountain has various caves that include Kitum, Ngwarisha, Chepnyalil, and Makingeny caves. The elephants and other mammals visit the cave in the night and lick the cave walls that have a natural salt, like Kapkwai Cave and Khauka Cave on Wanale Ridge.
Jackson’s pool and Jackson’s peak; the pool is shallow at 4050 m, and the peak is 4165 m, and it is used by the locals as a point to communicate with their ancestors. They were named after the European explorer Fredrick Jackson, who was the first to climb Mount Elgon in 1889.
Forest exploration center: this is at Kapkwai, 13km from Sipi town, and an education center for schools and climbers that gives the trailheads they follow with a guide. While at the center, the tourists can also visit the caves, waterfalls, birds, and primates.
The peaks and the caldera: the highest peak is Wagagai (4321 m), followed by Sudek(4303m),s (4222 m), and Mubiyi(4210m). The caldera was formed as a result of magma draining from the chambers, leading to a depression-like shape forming the two stream beds that are the deep Suam Gorge in the eastern part and the Simu Gorge in the northwest part of the caldera.
Wanale and Nkokenjeru Ridge: The Nkokenjeru Ridge covers 25km and lies within the parkh a width of 2347 m, which was formed by lava that flowed out of the volcano after the cone collapsed to block the main vent. This place is also gifted with Nabuyonga and Namatyo waterfalls that are seasonal.
Sipi Falls: These are three waterfalls that lie along the lower slopes of Mount Elgon National Park, found outside the park in Kapchorwa District. The fall offers a number of activities such as rock climbing, nature walks, birding, cave tours, and coffee farming.
ACTIVITIES in Mountain Elgon National Park
Mountain climbing: The mountain has different routes and trailheads that can lead you to its peaks, like the Salsa Trail, which is the shortest and steepest, and it takes four days to reach the bamboo forest and Jackson’s Pool; the Sipi Trail leads to Tutum Cave and takes six days.
Birding: This happens around the Kapkwai Forest Exploration Center and the thick shrubs that reach up to Cheptui Falls.
Hiking: Here the tourists follow specific routes like the Salsa Route and the Kapkwata Trail that can lead you to the caves of the mountain, find nice viewing points of the waterfalls, and are able to see a variety of primates in the park and the birds.
Nature walks: Having a walk through the park, the tourists enjoy watching the Sipi Falls while in the park and also see other flora and fauna.
Camping: This can be done when you are hiking, and there are well-designed areas where the camps are put, and this was gazetted by the management of the park.
Rock climbing takes place outside the park at Sipi Falls. There are several routes to follow while climbing, and the hardest is 35m and the simpler one is 15 m.
ACCOMMODATIONS.
Sipi River Lodge: This is located in Sipi Trading Center along the Kapchorwa Road. This is a luxury lodge that offers accommodation with cottages, including Kapsurur and Aniet cottages with twin beds, Chepkui cottage for families with 5 people maximum, Piswa, and Sasa bandas, among others, as well as a restaurant that serves food to the clients and a bar with various beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Lacam Lodge. This is a mid-range lodge found outside the park in Mbale, which is a 5-hour drive from Kampala to the lodge with 157km. They offer a free English breakfast, a restaurant, a well-stocked bar, and wooden bandas.
Mbale Resort Hotel. This is a mid-range accommodation facility outside the park. They possess 94 rooms on 2 wings, that is to say, the Victoria wing with 74 rooms and the Eden wing with 20 budget rooms, single, deluxe, restaurant, bar, spa health, and free WIFI.
Mount Elgon Hotel. This is a luxury hotel found outside the park, 2km from the town center along Masaba Road. They offer accommodation and have over 50 rooms that are rated as follows: standard rooms ($80), superior rooms ($100), executive rooms ($130), and junior suites ($150). They also have a shuttle service, a bar, and a restaurant with a variety of delicious cuisines.
Crown Nest Rest Camp. This is a budget accommodation facility with cabins, cottages, and a restaurant. The distance from Kampala to the lodge is 235 km through the Jinja-Mbale route for about 3-4 hours. The camp is a nice place to view the three Sipi waterfalls.
Kayegi Hotel. This is a mid-range hotel that has 25 self-contained rooms, a bar, a restaurant, conference halls, and deluxe rooms. It is 1.4 km from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and 45.7km (55 minutes) from the park.