MT ELGON
GEOGRAPHY
Mount Elgon National Park is located on the western side of Kenya along the border of Uganda where it shares sister protection with Uganda’s Mount Elgon National Park under the same name. The Kenyan national park encompasses an area of 494 square miles (1,179 sq km).
ANCIENT VOLCANO/PEAKS
The park’s main draw is Mount Elgon, which rises to a height of 14,177 feet (4,321 meters). It is thought to be East Africa’s oldest extinct volcano. Mount Elgon has five distinct peaks and a diameter of 50 miles(80km). Wagagai peak is the highest point. The remaining peaks are as follows, in descending order: Masaba 13,652 feet (4161m), Mubiyi 13,816 feet (4,211m), Koitobos 13,852 feet (4,222 m) and Sudek 14,114 feet (4302 m).
CALDERA
The Elgon caldera is one of the largest intact calderas in the world rivaling the Tanzania neighbor Ngorongoro crater caldera, which holds the title as the world´s largest. Mountain slopes are home to a variety of flora types, such as tundra, moorland and montane forests.
UNIQUE LANDSCAPE FEATURES
The park´s terrain consists of cliffs, waterfalls, caverns, gorges, mesas, calderas, hot springs and the summits of Mount Elgon. Kitum cave, which descends 656 feet (200 m) down the slope of Mount Elgon, is one among four caves that can be explored. The volcano´s crater is home to hot springs that may reach temperatures of up to 48 degrees Celsius.
WILDLIFE
Among the most frequently sighted wildlife species are the magnificent black and white colobus monkeys, elephants, buffalos, bushbuck, antelope, duiker, huge forest hogs and bushpigs. Visitors can expect to observe predator species including the African wild cat, hyena and leopard.
BIRD WATCHING OPPORTUNITIES
There are 144 different types of birds in the park, so even if it’s not as well-known as Lake Nakuru National Park for bird-watching, bird enthusiasts should still keep an eye out.