Mount Elgon trekking trailheads routes- Mountain Elgon is a volcanic mountain that erupted more than 24 million years ago. Mount Elgon has the largest volcano in the world that is 50km by 80km, it is the 4^th highest mountain in Eastern Africa.  In Uganda, it has the 2nd highest peak known as the wagagai peak which is 4321 meters.  Elgon is enclosed by a sequence of rugged peaks and remembers it has a crater lake that covers 40kms on the top of the mountain.

Mount Elgon National Park is located alongside the Ugandan-Kenyan border. Mountain Elgon is a water catchment for the river Nzoi that streams to L. Victoria. It is also a water catchment for Turkwel River (Suam River) that flows to L.Turkana.

The park has various trailhead routes. Tourists can use it while hiking mount Elgon national park. The following are some of the common hiked trails in Mount Elgon national park as below;

Piswa trail Mount Elgon Trailhead

Piswa trail is gifted for the towering podocarpus forest, and this trail is well known for wildlife viewing. In contrast, Sipi and Piswa trials start at higher elevations with a longer more gradual climb to the peaks. The Piswa trail can also take you to the hot springs inside. After reaching the peaks you can descend using the same trials or other routes. Piswa trial has camping stages with a water source, tent pads, and latrines.

Sipi trail Mount Elgon Trailhead

This route usually begins from the forest exploration center at kapkwai, which is few minutes from the sipi falls that are located outside the park. The trail will take you through the Tatum cave hidden within an extensive forest. Plants, a lot of primates such as the blue monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys and baboons are seen on this trail.

Sasa Trail Mount Elgon Trailhead

Sasa Trail starts at Budadiri and it is the best route to reach Wagagai peak.  Bumasola is the start point when you’re going to use the Sasa trail to climbing Mountain and hiking permits are organized from here. You can use a motorbike with your guide from here to the start of the hike up the escarpment into the National Park or you can walk along a road.  Hikers are advised to start early in the morning to avoid the heat during midday when you’re still down at a low altitude.  It is somehow difficult to climb the Sasa trail on the first day as you gain about 2000m by the time you arrive at Mude Cave Camp at 3500m. The first walk will take you through community gardens with lots of tomatoes, bananas cabbages, passion fruits, and sweet potatoes. The large trees are also seen as big as those in the forest, to reach the boundary, it will take you like 2 hours. From here you will walk a few distances to the wall of death and then you will hike up and down through various hills where the climb is over 1600m before coming up to Sasa River.                                        

Suam trail Mount Elgon Trailhead

Suam trail is a long trail, it is best for the people around the village of Suam on the Uganda border crossing Kenya. It will take you through Suam River in the steep and spectacular Suam Gorge to the hot springs on the Eastern part of the caldera Kapkwata Trail. Suam trail has a beautiful route running through the bamboo, heath, and moorland.

The full hiking circuit to the peaks will take you 4-5 days to complete the hike. If you wish to climb the mountain Elgon, it is good to first discuss options with an Information Clerk at the Budadiri, Male, or Kapkwata Visitors’ Centers. Every trail in the mountain is unique with wonderful scenery, amazing diversity, abundant wildlife, plants, flowers, and challenging terrain which are best for you.

Trekking mountain Elgon is among the best safaris in Uganda but after here, you can go for other adventurous experience such as gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and get to know more about mountain gorillas or you can do a game viewing in Murchison falls national park and see several wildlife animals like elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hippos and among others.