Murchison fall National Park is the largest in Uganda at the size of 3,840km2. Its one of the oldest National Park which was officially launched in 1952. Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna. First gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 birds.
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest protected area. It spans nearly 4,000 square kilometers and supports one of East Africa’s most integrated wildlife-river systems.
The park stretches across Masindi, Nwoya, Buliisa, and Kiryandongo districts in northwestern Uganda. It is part of the larger Murchison Falls Conservation Area, which includes Bugungu and Karuma reserves.
Murchison Falls National Park is rich in attractions ranging from nature, cultural, wildlife. Most fascinating in the park is the breathtaking Murchison Falls where the Nile forces itself through a narrow gorge plunging down with a thunderous roar.
Often included in most Uganda safaris, there are lots of things to see in Murchison Falls National Park. Here are some of the best things to see in Murchison falls National Park;
Murchison Falls – World’s most Powerful Waterfall
The Nile River provides one of the world wonder, in the heart of this wilderness is where the river squeezes itself into a narrow rock or gorge of 7 meters wide and forcefully pouring 30 meters down forming a thunderous roar and splashing water high to give you a wild shower moment! You are watching the world’s most powerful waterfall. This is a point where the park got its famous name, ‘Murchison Falls National park.’ Viewing from both the top of the falls and bottom are spectacular.
The Victoria Nile enters the park from the east at Karuma and flows westward for approximately 115 kilometers before reaching the Albertine Rift.
The river acts as both a biogeographic boundary and the ecological backbone of the park. It separates the northern savanna from the southern forests and serves as a year-round water source for wildlife.
Murchison Falls occurs where the river is forced through a 7-metre-wide cleft in ancient Precambrian rock.
The water drops 45 metres with exceptional force, forming what is considered the most powerful waterfall in terms of flow rate per width. The turbulent foam and thunderous noise can be felt over a kilometre away.
Interpretively, the falls serve as the narrative anchor for understanding the park. They illustrate hydrological violence, geological stability, and ecological interdependence in one space.
The constant churning oxygenates the water, creating ideal conditions for fish species, including Nile perch and tigerfish, which support sport fishing and crocodilian populations downstream.
Wild Game in Murchison Falls National Park
This Park is home to different wildlife species including 451 bird species and over 76 types of mammals including the Buffaloes, Jackson hartebeests, Antelopes, Lions, Kobs, Giraffes, Hyenas, Bushbucks, and Warthogs among others. They are widely spread all over the Savannah grasslands, grazing or hunting for prey. This makes the park’s landscape so amazing for a game drive. Popular destinations for game viewing drives include Buligi, Albert Victoria among others.
Big 5 mammals
Murchison falls is home to 4 of the big 5. Herds of Elephants, buffaloes and prides of lions are very common on the Buligi game tracks and along the banks of the Nile while the elusive leopard tends to hide in thickets. If you miss to spot one during a day game drive, you can hope to see a leopard with a night game drive.
Chimpanzees
In the southern part of the park, in the dense verst rainforest also called budongo forest home to world’s endangered species – the Chimpanzee. Visiting these human closest cousins is one way of conserving them as they are on verge of extinction. Visitors here are treated to walking through the rainforest looking for a habituated chimpanzee family, take as much pictures and video clips as you wish. You are likely to meet other primates along the way such as olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, velvet monkeys and lots of beautiful bird species. There are two trekking sessions early mornings and afternoon. Budongo eco forest lodge provides the best starting point for chimp trekking in this spectacular Budongo rainforest.
Aquatic and River‑Edge Wildlife
The Victoria Nile flowing through Murchison Falls National Park defines a water-dominated zone where hippos, crocodiles, and other semi-aquatic species congregate.
According to the park authority, the area supports one of Uganda’s densest populations of these species.
Hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) are found in large pods along the Nile banks. They spend daylight hours submerged and emerge at dusk to graze.
Sources note they are abundant and best observed from launch cruises on the river.
Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) bask on the river edges and in shallow channels. Their presence along the river corridor underlines the ecological richness of the aquatic fringe.
The aquatic ecosystem extends beyond large vertebrates.
Papyrus-lined wetlands adjacent to the river support smaller mammals such as the sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), and reed-dwelling rodents. These species are directly tied to riverine vegetation communities.
From the visitor’s‑perspective, the river experience offers distinct advantages.
A boat cruise upstream towards the base of the falls and across the delta section allows close study of riverbank fauna under safe conditions.
Water-based viewing offers different angles than savanna drives and requires coordination with transit, weather insight, and guide expertise.
Key practical considerations include the following:
- Launches typically depart early morning when mist and low light enhance the visibility of animals on the bank.
- Ensure the boat maintains a safe buffer distance from hippo pods and fast-moving waters near rapids.
- Wet season (March–May, October–November) raises water levels, which can hamper river margins but produce strong river flows; dry season (June–September, December–February) gives more accessible edges.
Binoculars and a 200–300 mm zoom lens are recommended for bank‑side observations; bouncing of the boat requires image stabilisation.
Birds in Murchison Falls National Park
With over 450 bird species, there is a lot to tick off your Uganda bird checklist. The Nile corridor of the Murchison has a big array of water loving birds such as rare shoebill stork other popular species include: the Goliath Heron, African Quail-Finch, the elegant Grey Crowned Cranes, Blue-headed Coucal, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Swamp Flycatcher, Red-throated Bee-eater, Squacco Heron, Silver bird, African Jacana, Piapiac, Sandpipers, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Denham’s Bustard, Weaver Birds, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Malachite Kingfishers and the Black-billed Barbet among several others.
Conservation and Tourism Implications
The breadth of bird species within Murchison Falls National Park underscores the need for habitat management, especially in key areas such as wetlands and river floodplains.
Bird-watching tourism contributes significantly to the park’s revenue model while encouraging conservation awareness among visitors and local stakeholders.
Ensuring minimal disturbance (for example, maintaining safe distances, staying on tracks, restricting launch‑boat speed near nesting zones) is critical to sustain this value (yes, a small conversational aside).