Mount Elgon (4321 m), the 4th highest mountain in East Africa, is an extinct volcano, located in the eastern part of Uganda on the border with Kenya. The park boundaries contain 1147 kmsq of the mountain. Most of this area is covered with typical afro-montane vegetation, complete with giant groundsels and bamboo forest.
Many travelers find Mt. Elgon an exciting alternative to some of the more strenuous climbs in East Africa. It has many of the same attractions with a milder climate and lower elevation. Climbing the peak requires no special equipment or technical climbing experience. It is possible to summit the mountain in as little as three days, but a slightly longer visit will permit a more thorough exploration of all that Mt Elgon has to offer.
Its slopes enchant visitors with caves, hot springs and waterfalls. Visitors can hike to the highest peak of the mountain, Mt. Wagagi. They can circle the rim of the caldera or climb down to the crater floor to see the Suam Gorge and the hot springs.
Mount Elgon is a volcano but has not erupted for a very long time (three million years or so) and is regarded as extinct. It’s a solitary mountain with gentle and long slopes, intercepted by steep cliffs and rivers.
Quick Things to Know
- Its caldera happens to be one of the biggest in the world stretching for almost eight kilometers.
- As one might expect, most of the peaks are on the rim of the caldera.
- Wagagai is the highest spot at 4321 meters and lies within Uganda.
To protect the park and its habitat, the area was gazetted as a national park by the Uganda Government. The park is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The Uganda-Kenya border runs across the mountain (check it out) and both countries have created a national park with a view to conservation.
Best time to visit:
During the dry season, from June to August and December to March, but the seasons are unpredictable and it can rain at any time.
Mount Elgon National Park – in Uganda
Mount Elgon is a massive solitary volcanic mountain on the border of eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Its vast form, eighty kilometres in diameter, rises 3070m above the surrounding plains, providing welcome relief in more than one sense of the word. Its mountainous terrain introduces variety to an otherwise monotonous regional landscape. Its cool heights offer respite for humans from the hot plains below and its higher altitudes provide a refuge for flora and fauna.
Uganda’s Mountain Gorilla
Mount Elgon has been a regional landmark for a long time: this extinct volcano is one of Uganda’s oldest physical features, first erupting around 20 million years ago. It was once Africa’s highest mountain, towering above Kilimanjaro’s 5895m. Millennia of erosion have reduced its height to 4321m, relegating it to 4th highest peak in East Africa (and 7th on the continent). However, its 4000km2 surface area is still the largest base of any volcanic mountain worldwide.
Mount Elgon is a hugely important water catchment. Its forests receive up to 3000mm of rain each year, which they store and release to support flora, fauna and more than a million Ugandans. Elgon’s water is equally important to many Kenyans, for Mount Elgon is bisected by the international boundary. The mountain’s natural vegetation, and its role <3,S a giant biological sponge, is protected by a Mount Elgon National Park on both sides of the border. The Ugandan park, which was upgraded from a forest reserve in 1993, covers 1,11 Okm2. Though its Kenyan counterpart measures just 170km2, it is adjoined by a forest reserve and national reserve. These parks and reserves in both countries combine to form a transboundary conservation area covering 2,229km2, which have been declared Man & Biosphere Reserves under UNESCO.
Mount Elgon receives far fewer visitors than other higher and more famous mountains in East Africa. However as routes on Mts. Kilimanjaro and Kenya become increasingly crowded and degraded, hikers are appreciating Mount Elgon’s deserted moorlands. A Climb on Mount Elgon is to explore a magnificent and uncluttered montane wilderness without the summit-oriented approach common to higher regional mountains. Indeed the ultimate goal on reaching the top of Mount Elgon is not the final ascent to the 4321 m Wagagai peak, but the descent into the vast 40km2 caldera.
Mount Elgon National Park – in Kenya