The Udzungwa Mountains National Park is located in Tanzania's Kilolo District of Iringa Region and Kilombero District of Morogoro Region. The park covers an area of 1,990 square kilometers (770 square miles). Its habitats include tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland, and steppe. The park's elevation ranges from 250 to 2,576 meters, with Lohomero being the highest peak. It is part of the Udzungwa Mountains, which are a section of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The park is home to more than 400 bird species, 2,500 plant species (25% of which are found only in this area), and 6 primate species. It is the second most biodiverse national park in Africa.
Endemism
Six primate species have been found in the park, and five of these are found only in this area. The Udzungwa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Scientists did not discover the Sanje crested mangabey until 1979. In 2009, a new species of chameleon was found in the national park.
Activities
Tourism in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park is mainly about hiking and trekking because there are no roads in the park, and visitors can only enter on foot. The hiking trails have different levels of difficulty, ranging from the short one-hour Sonjo trek to the very difficult 6-day Lumemo Trail that requires camping. The most common trail is the Sanje Falls path, which takes about four hours to complete. This trail leads visitors to a beautiful 170-meter waterfall and includes swimming in the pool at the base of the falls as part of the activity.
Visitors can only stay overnight in the park by camping, as there are no lodges inside the park boundaries. Near the park, in the village of Mang'ula, there are a few local guesthouses that offer affordable accommodation options.
Image gallery
- A view from the highest point in the park.
- Many mangabey monkeys live in the park.
- The park has many trees.