Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a very small national park perched in the southwestern region of Uganda. Covering a total area of 33.9 square kilometers, Mgahinga is of course the smallest national park in Uganda but terrifically among the country’s most crucial ones! The Park is not only among Uganda’s best national parks but also among Africa’s most sought after Parks.
The Park is famed for its inhabitants, the endangered mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are listed under the endangered species and are really few in number yet on a very high demand. This therefore makes Mgahinga Gorilla National Park a promised land to many tourists, especially the gorilla nuts.
Mgahinga is one of the three national parks in the respected Virunga Massif, known for residing the largest population of endangered mountain gorillas in the world. Out of the estimated 1,200 mountain gorillas, the Virunga Massif is believed to nest almost 700 of them – inhabiting the three Parks.
The three National Parks in the Virunga Massif are; Mgahinga Gorilla (Uganda), Volcanoes (Rwanda), and Virunga (DR Congo). It is only in the Virunga Massif and Bwindi Impenetrable Forests National Park that mountain gorilla expeditions are carried from. Mgahinga is really of a great value and has very many attractions besides the endangered mountain gorillas.
Other attractions in Mgahinga
Apart from the mountain gorillas, Mgahinga resides very many other animal species along with birds and eye-catching volcanoes. The Park inhabits three of the Virunga Volcanoes, including the Gahinga Volcano through which the Park was named after. The other two volcanoes are Muhabura and Sabyinyo, thus hiking trails are organized in the Park as well.
The Park’s other fascinating attractions are the golden monkeys of which the experience of tracking them is breathtaking as well, making the Park so extraordinary. Mgahinga is the only place in the country where one can go for the golden monkey tracking excursions.
Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga
Obviously gorilla trekking is the main and most thrilling activity in the Park. The Park has one gorilla family known as Nyakagezi gorilla family. In all gorilla national parks, you are first briefed before going for the trekking expeditions in the forests. The starting point in Mgahinga is called Ntebeko and you will be grouped into 8 individuals per group trekking. A gorilla permit remains costing US$ 600 in Uganda not until July of 2020 when it will start costing US$ 700.
