Mount Elgon National Park is located 140 kilometers northeast of Lake Victoria, straddling between Kenya and Uganda. The park covers an area of 1,279 square kilometers, with the Ugandan part accounting for 1,145 square kilometers and the Kenyan section covering 169 square kilometers.
The Kenyan sector of the park was established in 1968, whereas the Ugandan section was recognized in 1993. The park is named after mountain Elgon, an extinct volcano. Mountain Elgon stands as Africa’s eighth-highest massif, reaching 4,321 meters at Wagagai peak. Notably, it boasts the broadest volcanic base in the world.
Mount Elgon National Park is uniquely divided by the Kenyan-Ugandan border, creating a special shared space for both countries. This mountain plays a crucial role as a water catchment for two significant rivers. These include; the Nzoia River which flows towards Lake Victoria, and the Turkwel River also known as the Suam in Uganda which contributes its waters to Lake Turkana.
Flora and fauna
The forests and the highland moors that are protected within this national park host a variety of flora and fauna. Additionally, the lower slopes of the national park are home to Sipi Falls, a known tourist attraction in the Elgon region.
The vegetation zones of Mount Elgon are similar to those found on East African mountains. Below the 3000m contour, the mountain supports evergreen forest that covers an area of 750 sq. km within Uganda. This forest belt can be divided into two main strata. For instance; tall Afro montane forest below 2500m and low canopy montane forest and bamboo between 2500m and 3000m. The slopes below the 2000m contour located outside the national park support forest cover. However, much of this has been cleared for cultivation.
Above 3000m lies the bushy shrubs, transitioning around 3500m to Afro alpine vegetation adorned with giant lobelia and groundsel, including the endemic Senecio barbatipes and Senecio elgonensis.
Among the mammals that are found in Mount Elgon National Park include De Brazza’s monkey, blue monkeys, Red- tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bush pigs, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, common duiker and sitatunga. These are visible species to hikers during mountain climbing. There are over 300 bird species including forest birds and Afro montane moorland endemics. These include the black-collared apalis, Jackson’s francolin, mustached green tinker-bird, moorland francolin, red-throated wryneck, alpine chat, hunter’s cisticola, marsh widowbird, and Weyn’s weaver. The endangered bearded vulture also known as lammergeyer that is regularly observed at higher altitudes.
Tourist attractions in Mount Elgon National park
Guided forest and nature walks
The trail starts behind the post office of Sipi Trading Center and leads to the base of the main waterfall. However, a few meters ahead there are clusters of caves on the cliff above the river and countless birds, animals and thick montane forest. Along the main waterfall and the Sipi Mise Cave, there is a local shrine that is set within a small, forest-fringed enclave.
Another alternative is to go on a coffee tour in local subsistence farms, where one gets to learn about the coffee farming process from planting, harvesting and drying the beans to roasting and grinding them for consumption. Tourists get the opportunity to discover the origin of Arabica coffee that is cultivated on the mountain shambas of Mt Elgon. Local farmers in this region are renowned for producing some of the finest washed Arabica in both Kenya and Uganda.
The forest Exploration center offers 3 to 7 kilometer hikes where tourists marvel in valleys, caves, ridges and plants in the national park. It also leads to Tutum cave which is away from the center. During the hike tourists are able to spot several bird species, primates like blue monkeys, black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys among others
Climbing Mount Elgon
The cost of climbing mountain Elgon is less compared to other mountains like Rwenzori and Kilmanjaro in Tanzania. The activity takes 4 to 6 days depending on the route one has used. There are three major trails that are used during climbing and these include; Sipi trail, Pisa trail and Salsa trail. The salsa trail also known as Buddukiro starts from Mbale town and it is the shortest among the three. Using this trail it takes 4 days to reach the peak. However it has steep climbs and goes through the thickest area of bamboo forests though it is more direct. The second is Sipi trail which begins from Kapkwai forest exploration center and it takes 5 to 6 days to reach the peak. While the Pisa trail also known as Kapkwata trailhead starts from the Kapkwata and passes through the podocarpus forest. The trail lasts for 7 days and offers the opportunity to spot a variety of animals and birds. Most tourists prefer using the Sipi trail when ascending and Salsa when descending.
Birding in Mount Elgon National Park
The Kapkwai Forest is an excellent birding site as the tourists are able to spot a number of birds. The forest boasts thick shrubs along the loop routes which favors the survival of a variety of birds. Some of these birds include bar-tailed trogon, mountain greenbul, cinnamon-chested bee-eaters, montane oriole, golden-winged sunbirds, gray-throated barbet, black-and-white casqued hornbill, Doherty’s bush-shrike, black-collared apalis, and Hartlaub’s turaco.
Mountain biking
The activity starts from Sipi trading center to Chema hill in Kapchorwa. Mountain biking takes an hour and 30 minutes as the bikers get views of various waterfalls and Karamoja plains. Various mountain bike trails cater to different skill levels and biking preferences, including trail riding, cross country, downhill trails, and freeride.
Cultural encounters
The encounter starts with the Sipi widows’ group that take you around the coffee plantation for Bagisu farmers. They demonstrate how coffee is planted, picked, grinded and washed making it ready for sell. The Bagisu farmers are known to have best washed Arabica coffee both in Uganda and Kenya. The tourists also get to know more about the Bagisu community. They are known for maintaining a longstanding tradition of initiating young men into adulthood through circumcision. No man is allowed to marry before completing the ritual of circumcision. Similarly, no woman would consider marrying a man who hasn’t undergone circumcision. During the months of August and December of even years, the entire town and villages of Mbale come alive with crowds. The crowd sing, and dance while escorting the candidates to receive blessings and gifts from their relatives before heading to the circumcision site. The Bugisu cultural group perform cultural dances and share stories about their cultural heritage. Further the group can engage in cooking of bamboo shoots, locally known as malewa, tourists can also participate if they want.
While the Sabiny community which is famously known for practicing female circumcision. However the practice has been prohibited due to pressure from female human rights groups. Despite the ban, some individuals still secretly circumcise their daughters.
Tourists are exposed to the life of the Sabiny people by meeting local residents and engaging in activities like traditional weaving. They also gain experience in African cuisine through preparing, cooking, and tasting of local dishes. One should not miss out the women’s handicraft shop in the trading center where one can get souvenirs. The shop contributes to maintaining the coffee trees, raising awareness about the dangers of female circumcision (a traditional practice in this region), and supporting the education of orphans through school fees.
Caves exploration in Mount Elgon National Park
There are three most popular caves and include; Chepnyali, Mackingeny, and Kitum. These caves attract a number of animals from the park such as elephants and antelopes that come to lick salt from the walls.
However there are other ancient caves found in Budadiri. They feature paintings dating back thousands of years. The Khauka and Kapkwai caves in Wanale are visitor favorites due to their unique features and existence of bats. Also these caves served as shelters for local people and their domestic animals.
Additionally, the Nyero Rock Painting Caves outside Mbale town should not be missed out. These caves once sheltered the first humans to come on the earth. They left behind incredible paintings portraying their way of life thousands of years ago.
Visiting Abayudaya
The Abayudaya are the smallest group of the Jewish community living in Uganda around the areas of Sipi falls and Mount Elgon for over 100 years. The people under this community converted to the Jewish tradition. The Abayudaya work with different religious denominations like the pentecostals. The group has also led to a positive impact in the society as many schools and hospitals have been built. These schools follow both Jewish and Ugandan curriculum.
Entrance fee at Mount Elgon National Park
The entrance fee to Mount Elgon National park is $25 for foreign residents and $35 for non-foreign residents, appropriate for a 24-hour period. This fee is applicable to all overnight hikes on Mount Elgon National Park, as well as for overnight stays and day hikes at the Kapkwai Forest Exploration Center. However the overnight hikers pay a daily hiking fee of $75, which includes the park entrance fee and the guide fee.
Additional fees for overnight hikers include a camping fee of $5 per night. Optional extras are available, such as a porter service for $6 per day and a cook fee of $7 per party per day. On all of these charges, Sipi Falls or any other sites associated with the mountain that are situated outside the national park boundaries are not considered.
How to access Mount Elgon National Park
By road, Mount Elgon National park is 230 km east of Kampala city. The journey from Kampala to Mbale town takes 4 to 5 hours, passing through the towns of Jinja and Iganga. The use of road transport offers opportunities to explore amazing places such as the source of the River Nile and Mabira Forest in Jinja city.
Upon reaching Mbale city, one can drive to the park offices or to the nearest mountain climbing starting point in Budadiri that is outside the town. Visitors can hire a car or use public transportation to reach the park. However tourists are highly recommended to arrange travel through a reputable tour company which can be more convenient.
By air there’s an option to book a chartered flight from Entebbe International Airport to Soroti Airfield near Mount Elgon. Then with the accompaniment of a guide take a one-hour road trip to reach Mbale town or Kapchorwa and head to the park headquarters.