Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Protected tropical forest in Western Region, Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a dense woodland in western Uganda covering steep hillsides and deep valleys that rise to high mountain elevations. The forest interior contains layered vegetation with numerous tree, animal, and bird species throughout its terrain.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Reserve was established in 1942 on the rim of the Rift Valley. In 1991 the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was created to protect mountain gorillas from poachers and habitat loss, and in 1994 the park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Batwa people lost their traditional hunting grounds when the park was established.

The name Bwindi comes from the Runyakitara word Mubwindi, meaning "a place full of darkness", after the bamboo stands and dense ferns and vines that hinder walking. The forest is the traditional home of the Batwa people, who lost their hunting grounds when the national park was created in 1991.

Visitors need permits and experienced guides to hike designated routes through the forest interior. The drier months provide the best conditions for visiting and make trekking easier.

Chimpanzees were confirmed in Bwindi only recently, after long monitoring by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The forest is now one of the few in Africa where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees share the same ecosystem, alongside l'Hoest's monkeys, blue monkeys and black-and-white colobus.