Location of the Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated about 376 kilometers (234 miles) southwest of Kampala. The park’s territory includes the Kazinga Channel, which links Lakes George and Edward in the northeast and Lake Edward in the southwest, respectively.

 What is the Park popular for?

The park, which bears Queen Elizabeth II’s name, is home to 95 animal species and more than 500 bird species. The Rukungiri District neighborhood of Ishasha is known for its tree-climbing lions, the males of which have distinctive black manes that are only present in this region.

Facts about the Park

The park is renowned for its deep craters and volcanic cones, many of which have crater lakes like Lake Katwe, from which salt is mined.

The park’s breathtaking sights surely include dozens of large craters spectacularly carved into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks teeming with hippos, buffalo, and elephants, and the boundless Ishasha plains. The park is chiefly framed by the ragged Rwenzori Mountains.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is surely home to magnificent wildlife attractions as well as an intriguing cultural past. Visitors indeed have numerous possibilities to interact with the local populations and take in storytelling, dancing, music, and other cultural activities.

Biodiversity in the Park

In its grasslands and shorelines, Queen is undoubtedly home to an astounding 5,000 hippos, 2502,5000 elephants, and more than 10,000 buffalo, ensuring glimpses of some of Africa’s most recognizable animals. It is indeed a beautiful experience to hear the elephants’ shouts echo throughout Queen’s crater-filled valleys. Along with the sitatunga antelope, other common herbivores include warthogs, waterbucks, Uganda kob, and topis.

Queen Elizabeth National Park offers over 600 bird species, including famous East African birds, in its diverse habitats of savanna, marshes, and lowland woods, making it a popular birdwatching destination. It also houses elusive cats.

Although lions are surely seen all across the park, the most well-known ones reside in Ishasha’s southern section, where they can be seen lounging on the branches of fig trees. Being nocturnal and cunningly well-camouflaged, solitary leopards make sightings all the more rewarding. The smaller cats can best be seen on night game drives because they are mostly nocturnal as well.

How do you access the Park?

The distance from Kampala to the main gate turn-off by car is certainly 438 kilometers on a decent tar road. It’s 20 kilometers on a dusty road to get there.