Rwenzori mountains National Park is one of the 10 national parks in Uganda and is renowned for its awesome and most interesting mountain hiking activity. It is the host to Uganda’s highest mountain – Rwenzori with the highest peak Margarita at 5109 meters above sea level. The National Park is a home to countless flora and fauna species that are only endemic to the mountains.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers roughly 100,000 hectares in the West of Uganda. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was designated due to the diverse species it protects and the significant role it plays in the ecosystem.
A description of the attractions of Rwenzori mountains National Park.
Rwenzori national park is a renowned home to a variety of small primates, mammals, lush flora, waterfalls and other unique attractions.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is home to beautiful primate species both diurnal and nocturnal residing in the Afro mountane forests on the lower slopes of mountain Rwenzori including the chimpanzees, Black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, Angola monkeys and L’hoests.
The National Park is also a habitat to various mammals that can be viewed by visitors especially the hyrax and forest elephants.
Rwenzori National Park is made-up of rare lush flora that’s endemic to high altitudes of the Rwenzori mountain encompassing the Usnea beard lichens pervade, Sphagnum moss, coral pinks orchids, with beautiful bog-wet valley bottoms and large tussocks, lobelia wollastons, senecio adnivalis, torch lobelia that is good for photography and sightseeing.
History of Rwenzori mountains National Park.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park was established in 1991 by the government of Uganda in collaboration with international conservation bodies to protect the diverse flora and fauna species in the region. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994 though it was later inscribed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in danger when it was occupied by the rebel militias from the1999 to 2004. This was mainly because of the high level of insecurity in the region and lack of resources to sustain the travelers to the park since most service providers had evacuated the area in fear for their lives.
The park is also a Ramsar site that was designated on 13th May 2009 and harbors wetlands and important birding areas that are significant in the ecosystem. The rebel militias were later in 2006 wiped out of the forest by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces and other East African forces which helped tourism activities to resume in the park.
Uniqueness of Rwenzori mountains National Park.
The National Park is home to the highest point in Uganda that is to say Margarita peak which is at 5109 meters above sea level and is the only place where one can see snow in Uganda.
Rwenzori mountains National Park further make it stand out different since they provide the best mountaineering experience in Uganda.
The diverse flora and fauna in the National Park sets it apart. These are good for sightseeing and photography which adds up on the overall experience the travelers get while in the natural area.
Activities carried out in Rwenzori mountains National Park.
The Captivating Rwenzori mountains National Park due to its beautiful scenery and geography supports a wide range of tourist activities that travelers get to engage in to acquire unforgettable experiences. These encompass;
Mountaineering. Mountain Rwenzori provides a beautiful experience like no other in all the Ugandan mountains. This explains why masses travel to the park to engage in mountaineering and explore the heights that have a beautiful scenery of snow and the view above the clouds. The sightseeing opportunities presented while at the mountain are also one-of-a-kind and further make the visits to the park more rewarding.
Nature walks. These are usually conducted by the game Rangers in the natural forests of the National Park where visitors get the opportunity to view various flora and fauna species. The nature walks also help the visitors to enjoy the calm and quietness of the natural area which is so therapeutic , satisfying and worth the effort.
Bird watching. Rwenzori mountains National Park is home to a variety of bird species which visitors to the park can get the opportunity to observe. The bird species in the National Park include the secretary birds, Rwenzori turacos, abyssinian ground hornbill, egrets, hammerkops, African fish eagles, African paradise flycatcher, yellow billed oxpecker, sunbirds, shoebills and African darters.
How to get to Rwenzori national park.
Visitors embarking on trips to Rwenzori National Park can either access it by road or air transport. With air transport, guests can board from Kajjansi airstrip to Kasese airstrip from where they can drive and continue to the headquarters of the National Park and check in.
Road transport users can access the National Park through Kampala – Mubende – Fortportal road which takes about four hours for the 300 kilometer distance. Alternatively, one can use the Kampala – Mbarara – Bushenyi – Kasese route that takes about six hours for the 350 kilometre distance.
When to visit the park.
The most favourable time to visit Rwenzori mountains National Park is during the dry seasons that are characterized by favorable weather and terrain on the slopes of the mountain that are not slippery. Therefore the best time to visit is during the short dry seasons that run from June to August and the long dry seasons from December to February.
