Mahale Mountains National Park

About Mahale Mountains National Park

Mahale Mountains National Park covers 1,650 km² on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania. Research began in 1979 and the park was established in 1985; it is one of only two protected areas for chimpanzees in the country and holds the larger population. The park has no roads or internal infrastructure — the only way in and out is by boat, usually after a charter flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam.

The park is explored on foot. Daily treks with a guide lead into the lower forest to find the habituated chimpanzees; other primates include red colobus, blue and red-tailed monkeys, and the forest holds forest species such as bushpig and leopard. The upper slopes carry montane forest and grassland, and the eastern side, drier miombo woodland.

The lakeshore in front of the camps has sandy beaches and clear water, and afternoons are typically spent swimming, kayaking or fishing. The park recorded 1,074 visitors in 2012, which gives a sense of how few people share it.

Highlights

• One of Africa's largest chimpanzee populations
• Boat-only access along Lake Tanganyika
• 1,650 km² of forest and mountains
• Kayaking and swimming from the beach camps
• Red colobus and blue monkeys
• Around a thousand visitors a year