Mount Elgon National Park

Extinct volcanic massif with Africa's largest caldera, accessible from Kitale

Mount Elgon straddles the Kenya-Uganda border about 50 kilometres west of Kitale. An extinct volcano with Africa's largest caldera, it is also one of Kenya's most rewarding trekking destinations — less busy than Mount Kenya but with genuinely dramatic highland scenery, forests of giant heather, and an enormous flat-topped caldera that can be reached on a multi-day trek.

The Kenyan side of the park is accessed from the Chorlim Gate, about 24 kilometres from Kitale. The main draw for trekkers is the walk to the caldera rim at around 4,300 metres, typically done over 4–5 days. Shorter day hikes are possible to Endebess Bluff for views over the plains, or into the giant heather zone. Wildlife includes buffalo, bushbuck, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. The park headquarters at Chorlim can arrange guides and camping permits.

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Mount Elgon's giant caldera — 40 kilometres wide — is the largest ancient caldera in Africa and possibly in the world. The volcano last erupted an estimated 24 million years ago, and the caldera's rim now stands at over 4,000 metres, high enough to receive snow on some nights. Elephants have been recorded visiting caves inside the caldera to lick mineral salts from the walls.