It lies 140km North East of Lake Victoria and is bisected by the Kenya-Uganda border. It is an ancient eroded volcano with a huge caldera and, on its summit, the spectacular flat topped basalt column known as Koitobos. Another unique feature of the mountain is the lava tube caves, some over 60m wide and frequented by elephants (and other animals) digging for salts. The mountain soils are red laterite. Mt Elgon is an important water catchment for the Nzoia River which flows into Lake Victoria and for the Turkwel river which flows into Lake Turkana.

Mt Elgon National Park was gazetted in 1968 and covers a narrow transect up the North Eastern slopes of the mountain, from lower montane forest to the caldera edge. The remaining forest and moorland is part of the Mt Elgon Forest Reserve. The Ugandan side of the mountain is protected within Uganda's Mt Elgon National Park.

Vegetation cover of Mt Elgon depends on the altitude. The slopes of the mountain are covered with olive Olea hochstetteri and Aningueria
adolfi-friedericii wet montane forest. At higher altitudes, this changes to olive and Podocarpus gracilior forest, and then a Podocarpus and
bamboo Arundinaria alpina zone. Higher still is a Hagenia abyssinica zone and then moorland with heaths Erica arborea and Philippia trimera,
tussock grasses such as Agrostis gracilifolia and Festuca pilgeri, herbs such as Alchemilla, Helichrysum, Lobelia, and the giant groundsels
Senecio barbatipes and Senecio elgonensis.

The botanical diversity of the park includes giant podocarpus, juniper and Elgon olive trees cedar Juniperus procera, pillarwood Cassipourea
malosana, elder Sambucus adnata, pure stands of Podocarpus gracilior and many orchids.

Over 400 species recorded for the area the following are of particular note as they only occur in high altitude broad-leaf montane forest:
Ardisiandra wettsteinii, Carduus afromontanus, Echinops hoehnelii, Ranunculus keniensis (previously thought endemic to Mount Kenya),
and Romulea keniensis.

Location:
On the western border of Kenya with Uganda, in Trans-nzoia District of Rift Valley Province. It covers an area of 169km2.

Climate:
The climate is moist to moderate dry. Annual rainfall is over 1,270mm.

HOW TO GET THERE

Roads:
Mt. 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.

Park Roads:
Adequate road network.

Park Gates:
There are four park gates i.e. Chorlim main gate, Kassawai, Kiptogot and Kimothon.