Karisoke Research Center, founded by Dian Fossey in 1967 in the saddle between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke in Volcanoes National Park, is where Fossey conducted the long-term field research that eventually produced Gorillas in the Mist and transformed the world's understanding of mountain gorilla behaviour. The research camp, which Fossey named Karisoke by combining the names of the two volcanoes, operated as a scientific station until the Rwandan genocide forced its abandonment in 1994.
Access to the original Karisoke site requires a special permit from the Rwanda Development Board in addition to the standard park permit; the trek to the camp takes several hours through dense mountain forest. Fossey's grave and the gorilla cemetery she created are at the site. The experience is physically demanding but deeply moving — the isolation of the camp, the forest environment, and the knowledge of what happened here give the visit a weight that the standard gorilla trek does not have. Many visitors choose to do both. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund now operates from Musanze town itself and can provide information about the site and ongoing conservation work.