Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest and oldest national park, renowned for its dramatic waterfalls and diverse wildlife along the Victoria Nile. It offers a prime safari destination with rich history and varied ecosystems.

Park History

European explorers first sighted the falls in 1862, with John Speke and James Grant noting the area. Sir Samuel Baker and his wife Florence explored it thoroughly in 1863-1864, naming the falls after geologist Roderick Murchison.​

In 1907, locals were evacuated from 13,000 km² due to sleeping sickness from tsetse flies. The Bunyoro Game Reserve formed in 1910 south of the Nile, expanding north in 1928.​

Officially gazetted as a national park in 1952 under Uganda’s National Parks Act, it became one of the country’s first protected areas. It reopened in 1954 after Queen Elizabeth’s visit, emphasizing the falls, Nile, and wildlife as key attractions.

Location and Size

Located in northwestern Uganda, the park spans from Lake Albert’s shores westward along the Victoria Nile to Karuma Falls eastward. It covers 3,840–3,893 km² (1,483–1,503 sq mi), forming part of the larger Murchison Falls Conservation Area with adjacent reserves totaling over 5,366 km².
Elevations range from 619 m at Lake Albert delta to 1,292 m at Rabongo Hill, with averages around 920 m (3,031 ft). Higher areas like Rabongo are cooler.

Vegetation

Northern sections feature open savanna, Borassus palms, acacia woodlands, and riverine forests with dead trees, whistling acacia, and sausage trees. Southern parts have woodland and forest patches; Nile-Albert delta includes swampy papyrus, marshes, and Nymphaea lotus.

Vegetation types include tropical savannah, woodlands, deciduous and evergreen forests, and permanent swamps with species like thatching grass (Hyparrhenia filipendula), hippo grass (Vossia cuspidata), desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca), and star grass (Cynodon dactylon).

Park’s Wildlife

The park hosts 144 mammal species, including four of Africa’s Big Five: lions, elephants, leopards, and Cape buffaloes (no rhinos). Herds of elephants and buffaloes roam savannas, especially Buligi Plains.

Primates include vervet monkeys, olive baboons, patas monkeys; others like Jackson’s hartebeest, defassa waterbuck, oribi, bohor reedbuck, warthogs, bushbucks, and grey duikers. Riverbanks attract hippos and Nile crocodiles; smaller mammals encompass hyraxes, porcupines, squirrels, hares, cane rats, and East African crested porcupines.

Big cats like lions dominate the south, with leopards in shrubs. Giraffes, Rothschild’s giraffes in the north, and diverse antelopes thrive across habitats.

Park Tourism Activities

Game Drives and Wildlife Viewing

Game drives in the delta circuit and Buligi Plains spot elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, and predators. The Nile stretch draws wildlife to banks for optimal viewing.

Boat Cruises

Launch cruises to the falls’ base reveal hippos, crocodiles, and birds. The dramatic gorge and spray enhance the experience.

Hiking and Falls Access

A 45-minute hike from Baker’s Point to the falls’ top offers Nile views and historical paths. Scenic trails explore surrounds.

Chimpanzee Tracking and Birding

Track chimpanzees in Budongo Forest; spot 556 bird species, including aquatic ones on cruises.

Sport fishing

Sport fishing targets Nile perch, tigerfish, catfish, and tilapia (gear required).