Rwenzori Mountain National Park
The Rwenzori Mountain National Park is located in the Kasese district, southwest of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The national park is situated on the renowned Rwenzori mountain ranges, also known as the “Moon Mountains.” This national park offers the finest hiking and mountain climbing opportunities in Uganda. Mountain Rwenzori National Park encompasses a relatively modest 1,000 square kilometers.
The national park in the Mountains is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This national park contains Uganda’s largest and tallest mountain. This mountain is the third tallest in Africa rising at an elevation of 5110 meters above the sea level. Rwenzori Mountain is home to numerous cascades, lakes, rivers, and numerous glaciers.
Activities in Ruwenzori Mountain National Park
Mountain Trekking
With the assistance of a skilled climber, it takes seven to nine days to reach the peak. As the tourists ascend the mountain, a circular tour is presented to them. By doing a circular tour, they can also join the central circular tour via Nyabitaba after passing through Bujuku Valley. They can also enjoy excellent viewing of flora and faunas species as they do the mountain trekking safaris.
Cultural encounter
The park is bordered by various tribes, including the Bakonzo tribe, which inhabits Bulembe ihandiro cultural trails and is also known as the Bakonzo community. Tourists are to be led by a community guide who introduces them to locals who are skilled in the production of traditional medication. Additionally, travelers can visit their craft businesses, which sell handmade items such as baskets, bags, and shoes, among others. They may participate in their traditional performances.
Bird watching
The park is a protection for forest reserves, and tourists who prefer bird watching safaris can visit the Rwenzori Mountain national park to see a variety of birds, including malachite sunbirds, brown woodland warblers, long eared owls, handsome francolins, Rwenzori batis, golden winged sun birds, and many others.
Guided hiking
On the trails of Lake Mahooma, Karangura Ridge, and the Buraro Chimp Forest, where tourists can go chimpanzee trekking, hiking is possible. This trals connect you to neighboring regions such as the Bundabugyo region via Bwamba pass. In addition to a breathtaking panorama of Mount Baker, tourists can observe numerous species of animals, mammals, and vegetation.
Rwenzori mountain national park’s accessibility
This national park is owned by the government of Uganda; the district of Kasese is the park’s entrance and the closest major city. Tourists can stay in a variety of hotels and lodges in kasese town. However, the national park has a number of campsites and cabins for hikers who wish to reach the summit of Mount Rwenzori. The national park has excellent trail networks and mountaineering routes with breath-taking vistas.
Rwenzori mountains national park was established in 1991, making it one of Uganda’s newest national parks. The national park was selected and designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994 in order to preserve the park’s biodiversity and exceptional natural beauty.
The Rwenzori Mountains were occupied by insurgent militias in 1997, and the Rwenzori Mountains National Park was closed to tourists until 2001. Due to the insecurity associated with the region, the Rwenzori Mountain national park is placed on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in peril until 2004 as a result of the rebel period.
Biodiversity: This national park is home to a number of Albertine rift valley system-endemic varieties of wildlife. It is also home to several endangered varieties of wildlife. Rwenzori park may contain a small number of wild animals, but it is renowned for its exceptionally rich diversity of plant and tree species. The flora of Rwenzori park distinguishes it from other Ugandan and international tourist destinations. The national park has approximately five distinct and unique vegetation zones that succeed one another as the altitude from the ground rises.
In addition to its flora, the park is home to a diverse array of animal species, including four primate species such as the black and white colobus, l’hoest’s monkeys, and chimpanzees, among others. There are also 89 species of birds, 15 species of butterfly, and various reptiles. Depending on the altitude, the park’s fauna includes forest elephants, hyrax, monkeys, duikers, and Rwenzori turacos, among others.