Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park is Uganda’s most remote park, located in the far northeastern corner of the country. It’s close to Kenya and South Sudan, in the sparsely populated Karamoja region. This park is one of East Africa’s most stunning wilderness areas, known for its dramatic landscapes. The park features vast grasslands that stretch out towards rugged mountains in every direction. It’s also an area with rich cultural significance, as the plains around the park are home to the Karamoja people, who live in traditional manyattas, or homesteads.

Despite its harsh, semi-arid environment, Kidepo Valley National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The park covers 1,442 square kilometers and supports 86 mammal species and 475 bird species. This number of bird species is second only to Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, which has 604 species. Kidepo is unique in Uganda for its populations of cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, striped hyenas, and caracals. Eland and zebras are found here and at Lake Mburo National Park. Other animals you might see include elephants, Rothschild’s giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and both black-backed and side-striped jackals.

The park is also known for its impressive birdlife. It hosts over 100 bird species that live in the dry country of northern Uganda and Kenya. Some of these birds are found only in the Kidepo region, such as rose-ringed parakeets, Clapperton’s francolin, and Karamoja apalis. You might also spot ostriches, secretary birds, kori bustards, red-throated bee-eaters, Abyssinian rollers, and Abyssinian ground hornbills. The park is notable for its 56 species of raptors, including the rare lappet-faced vulture, lesser kestrel, and Denham’s bustard.

Attractions & Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park

Narus Valley Game Drive

The Narus Valley, located in the southern part of the park, has the park’s only permanent water sources. Wildlife tends to gather here throughout the year. You can see buffaloes and elephants in the swamps along the valley floor, giraffes and elands on the drier slopes above, and lions on the rock outcrops.

Kidepo Valley Drive

The Kidepo Valley, which is dry and sandy, is not known for its big game but offers stunning scenery. About 30 kilometers north of the park’s main visitor area at Apoka, the road crosses the dry Kidepo River bed, leading into a vast plain. This plain is bordered by the Morungole mountain range to the east and the towering Jebel Lotuke in South Sudan to the north. While mammals are rare in this area, you can often see ostriches and secretary birds.

Nature Walks

There are several guided walking options available. You can take short walks around Apoka Rest Camp, longer walks through the open grasslands of East Kakine, or hike along the 15-kilometer Rionomoe Trail, which runs along the southern side of the Narus Valley. You can also explore the Morungole mountain range to the northeast of Apoka with a ranger guide.

Bird Watching

Experienced ranger guides at Apoka can help you find and identify the diverse bird species found in the park’s different habitats.

Community Walks

Outside the park, you can take community walks to learn about the local Karamoja people. These walks visit the manyattas (homesteads) at Kawalakol, Lorukul, and Karenga, giving you a chance to experience local life and culture.