Established in 1994, Kyabobo National Park is located in Nkwanta South Municipality in the Oti region of Ghana, on the border with the country Togo and adjoins the Fazao-Malfacassa National Park in Togo. The contiguous mountain landscape gives it a stunning view.
The Kyabobo National Park is a trans-boundary protected area found in the forest/ savanna transition zone. It covers an area of 360-square-kilometre (140 sq mi) and it is largely known to have very few animals.
Notably, the Park is located about ten kilometers to the North from the Djebobo Mountain (which is the second-highest peak in Ghana, 873 m). It is from this mountain that the Park derives its name, which in local parlance means “to travel round and round in order to arrive at the top”. This is also a testament to the beautifully rugged topography of the area, making it a must-visit location for Eco-adventurers.
Uniquely straddling the transitional belt of the country, Kyabobo National Park is rich in flora and fauna which are representative of Ghana’s forest and savanna vegetation zones.
A good array of charismatic mammals are present in Kyabobo National Park and include the Elephant, Buffalo, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Red River Hog and several primate species such as the Baboon, Black and White Colobus and the Mona monkey. Flora that are easily identifiable in the Park includes rare economic trees like Odum (Milicia excelsa), Mahogany (Khaya senegalensis), and the Shea nut tree (useful for the extraction of Shea nut butter).
Another tree that is found commonly in the Park and has gained much prominence in the savanna zone over the last few years is the Rose Wood. As added evidence of the high level of species diversity, preliminary surveys have recorded 235 bird species and at least 500 butterfly species in the Park.
Very often acknowledged by visitors is the fact that the greatest selling point for the Kyabobo National Park is its unique and rugged topography which affords the opportunity for various forms of hiking; from the very easy to the highly challenging.
Attractions found in the Park include the Laboum Upper and Lower waterfalls which are known to hold water all year round with adequate plunge pools for highly refreshing showers, you ought to experience it! The climb up the “Ogyonku” or Breast mountains affords visitors the opportunity to view the spectacular and stunning plains, and sometimes the Volta basin during clear weather from this vantage peak.
The most popular hiking trail follows a ridge in the southeast corner of the park to a peak on top of one of the “Breast Mountains.”
It is called the breast mountain because it appears like the human or female breast. It is located in the Kyabobo National Park which also boasts of the Djebobo or Kyabobo mountains of which the breast mountain is considered one of them.
Though it is one of the less highlighted tourist sites in the country, the breast mountain is actually a wonderful place everyone would love to be.
Ghana’s second-highest mountain, Mount Dzebobo is contained within the park and offers visitors an impressive view of the Volta Lake.
Another attraction is the aptly themed Kuei River Walk which allows the visitor an easy and leisurely hike along the Kuei River with very good opportunity to view wildlife. The Park also has a unique array of caves and cultural sites, which are of significance to the indigenes.
Aside these unique selling points, the Kyabobo National Park is classified as one of the few truly trans-boundary conservation areas in Africa in that it shares in part, on its eastern border, an international boundary with the much larger Fazao-Malfacassa National Park (1,920 km sq.) in the Republic of Togo.
This contiguous arrangement of Fazao-Malfacassa National Park and Kyabobo National Park play a key role in conserving the natural ecosystems that are found in the area. It is also interesting to note that the Park forms an important watershed for rivers such as the Chai, Bonakye, Kpassa and Kuei rivers which drain directly into the Volta basin.
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