Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a small protected area in southwestern Uganda that conserves mountain gorillas and the Virunga volcanic landscape.

Mgahinga was officially established as a national park in 1991 to protect remaining gorilla habitat in the Virunga chain and to create cross-border conservation links with neighboring parks. Management since then has focused on tourism regulation, anti-poaching and community engagement.

The park sits in Uganda’s extreme southwest, in the Virunga volcanic region near the town of Kisoro, and shares borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Size and protection: The park covers a small area of about 33 square kilometres and was gazetted in 1991 to protect mountain gorillas and high-altitude forest habitat.
• Transboundary park: It borders protected areas in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and is often visited together with neighboring parks for gorilla tourism.

What to See #

• Virunga volcanic peaks: Three principal volcanic peaks of the Virunga chain that form the park's central terrain and provide routes for hikes and border ridgelines with neighboring countries.
• Gorilla tracking areas: Designated gorilla tracking zones and trails used for guided treks to observe wild mountain gorillas under permit regulations.