This park is part of a larger ecosystem; a Virunga Conservation Area of about 434km sq including two adjacent parks in Rwanda and Congo rising from 2227 m to 4,127m above sea level.
The park is a cultural heritage featuring in the history. Folklore and traditional healing practices for local people, covering the north slopes of the 3 northern Muhavura, Gahinga, Virunga volcanoes as well as the Sabinyo. The park derives its name from “Gahinga”a Kinyarwanda word for a pile of volcanic lava stone heaps around which cultivation is carried out.It is also one of the two locations in Uganda where gorilla can be found and has one habituated gorilla group though sometimes it crosses the boarder to Rwanda meaning Mgahinga is not a reliable spot for viewing Gorillas.
LOCATION
The park is in the far southwest on the boarder of Rwanda and Congo, 15 kilometers south of the town of Kisoro in the Virunga Mountains and is contiguous with the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
How to get there.
To get there by road via Kisoro, it’s about 540 km from Kampala taking about 8 hours via Kabale.There are daily buses which leave Kampala when in Kisoro town, one can hire a tax to the park gate. Mgahinga is located just 13 km from Kisoro town and can be accessed by Public transport and can also be accessed by air.
What to do there.
- Gorilla tracking
- Birding
- Cave exploration.
- Hiking
ACCOMMODATION
Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp
Mgahinga Safari Lodge
Mount Mgahinga Rest Camp
Travelers’ Rest Camp
The best time to visit.
As a rainforest, the park is always wet and more so during the rainy periods of April-May, also in October-November.