The park was gazetted in 1962 and covers a surface area of 1442 km2 with an altitude between 914 and 270m above sea level. It is located in a semi-arid area between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya. This blissfully remote and stunningly beautiful park is quite unvisited compared to the rest of the national parks in Uganda. Kidepo is an ideal home to the big game, over 70 mammal species as well as 475 bird species and contains two rivers of Kidepo and Narus that dry up during the dry season.
Dodoth pastoralists and IK farmers lived in the area before it was gazetted as a game reserve in 1958 by the British Colonial Government and the purpose was to protect the wildlife from poaching and prevent further clearing of the bush for tsetse fly control. In 1962 the game reserve was renamed Kidepo Valley, National Park.
Although tourists are allowed to visit the park throughout the year, the best time would be during the dry season (January – May and October – December] and it is usually advisable to use 4WD vehicles to avoid any inconveniences caused by bad roads. Always seek advice from your tour operator in Uganda on how best you can access the park.
The park is fast becoming a preferred destination for many tourists planning an African safari, especially Uganda wildlife safaris and cultural tours.
