Virunga Volcanoes In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

The Virunga volcanoes are a chain of eight volcanoes that dot the borders of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. Three of the conical peaks are in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. These three conical extinct mountains are the most spectacular features that can be seen by travelers on a Uganda safari tour in Mgahinga, and these include;

Mount Muhavura (4,127m) 

This is the highest of the peaks in the park. The name Muhavura means to guide, and the Batwa used to look for its high peak to help orient themselves in the forest. Muhavura has a crystal clear crater lake about 36m wide at its summit.

The top commands panoramic views far into Uganda, Rwanda, and along the length of the Virunga chain.

Mount Sabyinyo (3,669m)

Sabyinyo means old man’s teeth, a reference to its jagged summit that is dissected by deep gorges and ravines. The countries that share the Virungas (Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo) meet on the highest of Sabyinyo’s stumpy peaks. The mountain is located northeast of Lake Kivu in Rwanda and west of Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda.

Mount Gahinga (3,474m)

the smallest of the Virunga volcanoes. The word Gahinga comes from the local Rufumbira dialect meaning “a small pile of stones”.

Mount Gahinga has a swampy caldera on its peak believed to be as wide as180 meters. The vegetation across the mountain can be described as afro-montane with bamboo composing the main vegetation.

Like Muhabura and Sabyinyo, the bamboo forests on Mount Gahinga are a habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas that live within the park.

There are several other species of animals and birds that form part of the Mount Gahinga ecosystem. The golden monkeys are notable to these.