Mgahinga Gorilla Park

Overview of the National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, situated in the southwest near Congo and Rwanda, comprises three dormant volcanoes and three large marshes. It is certainly Uganda’s smallest National Park at 33.7 km2. The location is situated in southwestern Uganda, approximately 540 kilometers from Kampala, the country’s capital.
Mountain gorillas can only be found in two places in Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga. The word “Gahinga,” a native term for the mounds of volcanic stones removed from farms at the base of the volcanoes, gives the park its name.
Although there is one habituated gorilla population in the park, this group occasionally crosses the border into Rwanda, making Mgahinga an unreliable place to see gorillas.
Biodiversity in the Park
There are 76 known species of mammals, including golden monkeys, buffaloes, elephants, and bushbucks. A total of 115 bird species, including the Rwenzori Turaco, Crowned Hornbill, Yellow-billed Kite, and Grey-crowned Crane, have been identified.
A population of golden monkeys and a few mountain gorilla families can be found in Mgahinga. The mountain gorillas used to live in this park, but they moved to Rwanda using the volcanoes.
The park is significant not only for its wildlife but also for its cultural significance, particularly for the local Batwa pygmies. The “first people” of the forest were this hunter-gatherer group.
The larger Virunga Conservation Area, which is now jointly protected by every day the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, includes Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Three of the eight Virunga volcanoes, Mounts Muhabura, Gahinga, and Sabyinyo, which are all located on the boundary between Uganda and Rwanda, are also included in the national park. From the park’s administrative center, any of these can be climbed in one day.
How to access the National Park?
Driving via Kabale takes eight long hours. Bus transportation services are available every day and begin at 7:00 a.m. for those without access to private transportation. Visitors can either hike or take a special rental vehicle to the park gate after they arrive in Kisoro town. Kisoro can also be reached by air. Eagle Air, which operates flights from Entebbe to Kisoro on Mondays and Fridays, can be used to book flights.