Overview

The Park covers an area of 33.7 sq. km, just 8% of the VCA. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park consists of the partly forested slopes of three extinct volcanoes. From far away, the huge cones of the virunga volcanoes dominate the landscape and beckon you as you approach.

Mgahinga Park has great biological importance because throughout the climatic changes of the Pleistocene ice ages, mountains such as these provided a refuge for mountain plants and animals, which moved up or down the slopes as climate became warmer or cooler.

Location: In the far southwestern corner of Uganda about 554 km drive from Kampala via Kisoro, bordering Rwanda and Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, The Park covers the northern slopes of the three northernmost Virunga Volcanoes: Mt. Muhavura (4,127 m), Mt. Gahinga (3,474 m), and Mt. Sabinyo (3,645 m).

The Park is about 10 km south of Kisoro. Each of these countries protects its own portion of the Virungas, in the Parc National des Volcans and Parc National des Virunga respectively. The three parks together form the 434-sq. km. 'Virunga Conservation Area' or VCA.

Wildlife: The Virungas are home to a large variety of wildlife, including about half the world's critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Birds: The park is blessed with a unique bird fauna; some of them are Ibis, Whydah, Speckled Mousebird, and Fire Finch, Stonechat, Grey Capped Warbler, Waxbills, and Yellow-Vented Bulbul.

Access: The Park can be reached by road through Kabale and Kisoro 510 km from Kampala.

Accommodation: there are luxury lodges, rest camps and campsites.

To do: gorilla tracking, hiking birding and cave expedition.