Mount Elgon National Park

Mount Elgon National Park, straddling the Kenya–Uganda border, protects the Kenyan slopes of Mount Elgon, an extinct shield volcano with a massive caldera and rugged peaks rising to 4,321 meters at Wagagai on the Ugandan side. This remote, less-visited park combines dramatic volcanic landscapes with rich wildlife and cultural intrigue, offering a quieter alternative to Kenya’s busier safari destinations. One of its most extraordinary sights is the cave-dwelling elephants that venture deep into Kitum Cave and other lava-formed caverns to mine salt deposits with their tusks—a rare and fascinating behavior found almost nowhere else in the world. Alongside elephants, the park harbors buffaloes, giant forest hogs, leopards, primates such as blue monkeys and colobus monkeys, and a diversity of montane bird species, making it a haven for both wildlife enthusiasts and researchers. The park’s vegetation zones shift dramatically with altitude, from montane forests and bamboo belts on the lower slopes to high-altitude moorlands dotted with giant lobelias and groundsels near the summit. Its waterfalls, including the impressive 80-meter Kitum Falls, plunge down basalt cliffs, while lava tubes, craggy ridges, and hiking trails provide adventure for trekkers, birdwatchers, and cave explorers alike. For those seeking an off-the-beaten-path wilderness, Mount Elgon National Park delivers a rare combination of geology, wildlife, and cultural history, set against the sweeping panoramas of Kenya’s western highlands.

Gallery