Rwenzori Mountains National Park is located in south-western Uganda on the east side of the western part of the great East African rift valley. It lies along Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and borders the DRC’s Virunga National Park. It is situated in the Bundibugyo, Kabarole, and Kasese districts, 25 km (16 mi) from the city of Kasese.
Despite the floristic species typically associated with the cloud forests of Central America or the dense canopy of Southeast Asia, the Rwenzori Mountains National Park—located in Uganda and Virunga National Park in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo—is also home to a remarkable mix of vegetation and fauna, and unique floral species that distinguishes it from the many National Parks in Africa.
The name Rwenzori stems from rwenzururu a local dialect, which means “place of snow” in the Rukonzo language. Known as the “Mountains of the Moon”, the chain of mountain peaks are one of the wonders of the natural world, with glaciers and snow-capped peaks hiding lush forests and deep valleys. The Rwenzori mountains national park, which covers more than 100,000 hectares in Western Uganda and 1,200 meters above sea level, is home to flora and fauna not found anywhere else in the world.
The Rwenzori Mountains were first explored by Westerners as far back as 150 CE. The range is often referred to as “the Mountains of the Moon” or “Mountains of the Clouds,” as legend has it that at night, their peaks are lit up by phosphorescent clouds. An Alexandrian geographical researcher and photographer, Pletomy was the one who christened the mountain ranges as “the mountains of the moon”. Later in 1899, Henry Morton Stanley christened them the “cloud mountains”.
The Rwenzori Mountains National Park lies at the centre of the Albertine Graben, a massive fault system extending over 800 kilometres across East and Central Africa. Its glacial lakes sit atop dormant volcanoes that are part of the Virunga Mountains chain; they also form a natural border with the DRC. Although this spectacular alpine region remains a remote wilderness, its beauty is slowly becoming known to visitors from across East Africa and around the world.
Rwenzori is the third highest mountain in Africa at 5,109 m (after Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya), the Park includes a much larger alpine area than either, covering an area of 99,600 ha of which 70% lies at over 2,500 m in height. Margherita Peak found within the park is Africa’s third highest peak with a height of 5,109 metres (16,762 ft). Africa’s fourth and fifth highest peaks (Mount Speke and Mount Baker) are also located within the park. The park has glaciers, snowfields, waterfalls, and lakes and is one of the most beautiful mountain areas in Africa. But the spectacular peaks aren’t the only things to see here, with so much to offer, the Rwenzori mountains national park has Unesco listing as an area of exceptional natural beauty.
It is situated in the districts of Bundibugyo, Kabarole, and Kasese, and it is 25 km (16 mi) from the city of Kasese. It is 996 square kilometres (385 sq mi) in size, the park is 120 kilometres (75 mi) long and 48 kilometres (30 mi) wide. Kasese, located 437 km (260 mi) west of Uganda’s capital Kampala, is the gateway to the park. The park includes most of the centre and eastern half of the Rwenzori Mountains, a mountain range rising above dry plains located just north of the equator. Those mountains are higher than the Alps and are ice-capped. It’s hard to believe you’re standing in Africa, rather than on the top of a frozen peak in the Alps.
The park has 217 species of birds including 19 Albertine Rift endemics, 70 mammal species including forest elephants, Rwenzori Otter, duikers, 15 species of butterfly, and four primate species. There are five distinct vegetation zones in the park, which change according to changes in altitude and most importantly, the park’s wildlife varies with elevation. It is no wonder that Rwenzori mountains national park is a UNESCO world heritage. Of the bird species present, several are Albertine Rift endemics which makes the Rwenzoris an Important Birding Area (IBA). The Rwenzori Park is a dwelling to 217 species of birds and 17 of them can only be found in Rwenzori which justifies UNESCO labeling it a key Birding Area.
Not all National Parks are created equal. But the Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda is as spectacular as they come. As the world’s only tropical glaciers, the peaks of Mounts Stanley and Speke offer stunning views and activities that are just as good as the more popular trekking routes of Mount Elgon and Murchison Falls. The park offers a number of treks ranging from one-hour walks to eight-day expeditions to its tallest peak, Margherita Glacier. As the third highest mountain in Africa, Rwenzori mountains national park attracts many hikers and climbers.
The Rwenzori Mountains are one of the largest mountain ranges in Africa. The vastness of these mountains, which stretch for more than 996 square kilometres, and the diversity of their landscapes offer an endless supply of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, mountain climbing being one of them.
If you’re ready to take on a challenge that will fire up your imagination, don’t miss this activity. This park tops our list of unusual destinations and lesser-known travel destinations with its list of surprises to offer those that dare to reach the Margherita Peak which is the third highest in Africa standing at 5109m above sea level.
The Rwenzori Mountains are a birding hotspot with 217 different species of avian life and 17 that can only be found in the Rwenzori Mountains including Rwenzori Turaco, Long-eared Owl, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater and many more. This exceptional natural habitat is what earned it the UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site.
The Rwenzori Mountains are among the most biodiverse regions on the planet because of their rich cloud forests and extensive Alpine ecosystem. It has given birth to so many species of birds, some of which can only be found in this area. It is for these reasons that it earned UNESCO recognition as an Important Bird Area and is one of the few Ugandan-based parks that has received this designation. This is truly a Birding Wonder of the World.
There are two types of hiking experiences in the Rwenzori mountains: high altitude adventure trekking and low altitude hiking. Each has its own incredible benefits. During the high altitude adventure, you can expect to see snow-capped mountain peaks. The low altitude hiking offers scenery just as spectacular, but without the benefit of being able to see the snow-capped mountain peaks.
There are several kinds of experiences in the mountains ranges; hiking at high altitude for stunning views, walking through rainforest and later in the afternoon to one of the 20 lakes formed at such high altitudes for peace and quiet and a chance to see some wildlife, or just going on a walk to appreciate the virgin lands, you can be lost for choices on what to do. Low altitude treks last 2-4 days, while the high altitude treks take up to 12 days.
