Mount Elgon National Park - Kenya
It is an extinct volcano, is located on the border of Kenya and Uganda. Mount Elgon is very famous for elephants which have a great penchant for the salt found
in caves on the mountain slopes. The reason of this "salt hunger" is that their
diet does not provide them with adequate salt. There are many herbivorous which
have developed this practice of licking salt from the rocks of these caves.
Location:
On the western border of Kenya with Uganda, in Trans-nzoia District of Rift Valley Province. It covers an area of 169 square km. 470 km from Nairobi.
Climate:
The climate is moist to moderate dry. Annual rainfall is over 1,270mm.
There are three caves open to visitors, Kitum, Chepnyali and Mackingeny and you are most likely to see elephants in Kitum which is the largest and extends 200 meter into the depth of mountain. Its highest peak is Wagagai (4321 m), but it’s on the Ugandan side. You need a vehicle to enter the park. A ranger must accompany you on all hikes. You can sometimes see hyenas and leopards in the dense vegetation. Mount Elgon is best seen from Endebess bluff. There are many hot springs and lakes in this park. Mt Elgon is an important water catchments for the Nzoia river which flows into Lake Victoria and for the Turkwel river which flows into Lake Turkana.
Roads:
Mount Elgon is located 470 kms from Nairobi. Access is via tarmac road to Kitale and then to the Chorlim Gate. Two routes to the gate can be used, either via Endebess or take the tarmac road 11km past Kitale and turn left onto a murrum road leading to the gate.
Airstrips:
At Park Headquarters.
The best times to travel to Mount Elgon are during the drier seasons from June to August and December to March. Bird lovers will enjoy about 300 bird species including the endangered Lammergeyers, the rare Jackson’s Francolin, Guinea fowls, sunbirds and Turacos among others. A number of primates inhabit the mountain. Forest monkeys fill the forest canopy as giant forest Hog, Bushbuck, Antelope, Civet, Wildcat and the exclusive Leopard roam below. Bush Duiker, Hyena, Jackal, Rock Hyrax, Buffalo and Elephant rove between the forest and moorland. Many of these animals visit Mount Elgon's bat filled caves for their valuable mineral deposits.
