Uganda National Parks; are network of the protected areas in Uganda, managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) aimed at conserving and preserving the country’s rich biodiversity, natural beauty and cultural heritage. These parks provide a safe habitat for a wide range of wildlife, including the iconic species such as the mountain gorillas, lions, elephants, and chimpanzees, as well as numerous bird species, flora and fauna. These parks offer various tourist activities like game drives, hiking bird watching, and cultural tours generating for conservation, and local communities while promoting sustainable tourism and environmental conservation.
Murchison Falls National Park.
The largest and most well-known national park in north western Uganda is Murchison Falls National Park. Establishing itself among the first national parks, the one opened in 1952 Among the most frequented features in the national park which boasts savannah vegetation and riverine forest Murchison Falls, chimpanzees, and the “big five” including Ziwa rhino sanctuary. In addition from the primates, which include chimpanzees, there are about 451 species of birds, including the Gray-crowned crane (Uganda’s national bird), Giant Kingfisher, Giant Heron, Shoebill stork, and Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and 76 species of mammals, including lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, Oribis, Uganda Kobs, hartebeests, and antelopes. Poaching and the continuous guerilla conflict raging Uganda in the 1970s and early 1980s had driven rhinoceros into the park by 1983.
Mount Rwenzori National Park.
Mount Rwenzori national park is the attractive safari destination that lies in the south-western part of Uganda that surrounds with Democratic Republic of Congo adjacent to Virunga National Park. Covering around 386 square kilometers, the park is located in the districts of Bundibugyo, Kasese, and Kabarole. Renowned for its amazing landscape, Mount Rwenzori National Park offers visitors the ideal viewing of lush vegetation including rivers, lakes, waterfalls, uncommon species, glaciers, mountains, and among others. Mount Rwenzori National Park’s most often used term, “mountain of the moon,” sounds odd and is the reason most people came to explore the park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park.
One of Uganda’s top national parks and among the best safari parks in Africa is Queen Elizabeth National Park. A well-liked safari spot to see lions is Queen Elizabeth National Park, especially the ones that climb trees. It’s one of Uganda’s most well-known savanna parks, which makes it an ideal destination for a Uganda Wildlife Safari. It takes pride in having the most diverse range of habitats in the nation, which include marshes, lakes, forests, and savannah grasslands all of which are home to the majority of large mammals. Between Lakes Gorge and Albert, in western Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park’s 700 square mile territory is spanned by Kazinga Channel. The park was renamed in Queen Elizabeth II’s honour after her visit in 1954. The park is home to 600 bird species, which makes it a great choice for Uganda Birding Safaris.
Semuliki National Park.
Semuliki National Park is situated in Bundibugyo district in a secluded area of southwest Uganda. One of Uganda’s smallest national parks, Semuliki is situated between 670 and 760 metres above sea level on a surface area of 220 km2. One of the ten national parks in Uganda, Semuliki is the best safari destination with various bird species including Ituri Batis, Sassi’s Olive, Xavier’s, Simple, and Eastern Bearded Greenbuls, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Black-wattled Hornbill, Congo Serpent Eagle, yellow-throated Cuckoo, and White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers and among others. Semuliki National Park was established in 1932 and granted national park status in 1993. The park has been acknowledged to be the only tract of trust lowland tropical forest in East Africa with moist semi-deciduous forest, predominant iron-wood with patches of swamp forest and water habitats that include forest streams and oxbow lakes with adjacent swamps.
Mount Elgon National Park.
Mount Elgon national park is the delight safari destination for travelers on a Uganda safari, the park is situated in the Eastern part of Uganda on the frontier between Kenya and Uganda and it is said that it’s the biggest surface area of a dormant volcano in the world, particular caldera that grabs large number of tourists to come and thrills this wonderful safari experience that encompasses over 40 kilometers centered at the top of the mountain. Wagagi Peak, the second-highest mountain in Uganda, is a well-liked tourist safari destination located in the park. It rises to a height of roughly 4,321 metres. The most courageous travelers interested in mountaineering should head to the Mountain Elgon National Park, which is home to a variety of huge wildlife species. As a result, the location becomes a popular tourist safari destination where visitors may take in and explore Mount Elgon’s natural beauty while engaging in a variety of safari activities within the park.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Mgahinga gorilla national park is attractive safari destination situated in the south western part of Uganda in Kisoro that borders with Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic republic of Congo. Designed largely to preserve Uganda’s mountain gorilla population, the park opened in 1991. With Mgahigi Gorilla National Park second due to its significant gorilla population, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the main gorilla destination. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the one other national park in Uganda, is well-known for its profusion of primates including golden monkeys. The smallest national park in Uganda, with a land size of about 34 square kilometers and an elevation range of 2000 to 4127 meters above sea level, Mount Muhavura towers 4,127 meters; Mount Gahinga stands 3,474 meters tall; Mount Sabinyo rises 3,648 meters. From a distance, the massive cones of the Virunga volcanoes dominate the landscape, and as you go closer, they beckon you. From the Ntebeko gate, it’s a 15-minute walk to the park’s overlook, where you can take in breathtaking views of the surroundings. The park’s climate is influenced by the mountains’ dense forest cover, which brings year-round cold winds and regular rainfall.
Lake Mburo national park.
Lake Mburo national park is generally referred to as a romantic safari destination which is renowned for the variety of wildlife in which travelers can observe a variety of the animal species like the antelopes, zebras, impalas, eland, buffalos, deffasa water buck, hyenas, leopards and among many others without ignoring large numbers of bird species. Originally gazetted in 1933 as a zone for hunting, Lake Mburo national park is located in the western part of Uganda in Nyabushozi country in Kiruhura district. Later enhanced as a game reserve in 1963, then in 1983 it was elevated as a national park to protect a wide spectrum of wildlife including the animal species and bird species.
Kidepo Valley National Park.
Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the Kaabong District in the extreme northeastern region of Uganda. The park covers 1,442 km2 (557 sq. mi) with a rugged Savannah scene dominated by Mt. Morungole (9,020 feet) and drained by the Kidepo and Narus rivers. About 220 kilometers (140 miles), northwest of this national park in Uganda, Moroto is the main city in the sub region. Likewise 520 km (320 miles) northeast from Kampala, Uganda’s capital, by road. Though one of the less visited safari parks in Uganda, this is among their best ones. The Kidepo and Narus are the two primary river valley systems in the park. The elevation of the valley basins is from 3,000 to 4,000 feet. The Kanangarok hot spring, located in the far north of the park, on the boundary between Uganda and Sudan, and provides the park with its yearly water supply. There are variations in animal populations in sections of Narus with large rainfall amounts during the rainy season and the Kidepo basin with low animal populations because much of the park is covered with Savannah trees.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Bwindi National Park, sometimes known as Bwindi Forest National Park, is identified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; its average temperature range in the winter is 7 to 15 degrees Celsius and in the summer is 20 to 27 degrees Celsius. Every year it gets 1,400 to 1,900 millimeters of rain. Only Bwindi National Park and the Virunga Massif Area which encompasses Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park are home to the endangered mountain gorillas. With an estimated 468 mountain gorillas, Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park boasts the most number of habituated gorilla families accessible on gorilla trekking trips in Uganda. Bound on the Great Rift Valley, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in southwest Uganda. With the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the nearest settlement to the park, Kabale, borders it on the east and the west respectively. The Park is thought to span 331 square kilometers overall and has elevations ranging from 1190 to 2607 meters above sea level. From Kampala, it takes around 8 to 9 hours by automobile to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; a charter flight just takes one hour.
Kibale Forest National Park.
Kibale Forest National Park, the chimpanzee capital, is situated in Kamwenge, western Uganda. On Uganda Tours, one can view over 375 various bird species, including the magnificent blue turaco. With a total land area of 795 square km, the national park hosts 13 different primate species including 1,500 chimpanzees, grey-cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, bush baby, and blue.
