Mount Elgon is located in the western riftavlley covering an area o f95,000 ha with an altitude of 2,100 - 4,280meters. This area comprises montane forest, wooded grassland, bamboo and alpine moorland on the eastern slopes of Mount Elgon, Kenya's second highest mountain. Mount Elgon lies 140 kilometers north-east of Lake Victoria and is bisected by the Kenya/ Uganda border. Mount Elgon National Park forms part of the western Kenya bird watching route, which includes birding destinations such as Cherangani Hills, Kakamega Forest, Busia Grasslands, Lake Victoria, Kongelai Escarpment and Saiwa National Park. It is an ancient, eroded volcano with a huge caldera and, on its summit, the spectacular flattopped basalt column known as Koitobos. Another unique feature of the mountain is the 'lava tube' caves, some over 60 m wide and frequented by elephants (and other animals) digging for salts.

The mountain soils are red laterite, and rainfall is 1,200 milimetrs on the mid-slopes. The vegetation is zoned by altitude, with wet montane forest dominated by Olea capensis and Aningeria adolfi-friedericii grading into Olea - Podocarpus falcatus forest, a zone of mixed Podocarpus and bamboo Arundinaria alpina, and the Hagenia abyssinica zone with giant heath Erica arborea and E. trimera elgonensis. Afro-alpine moorlands occupy the highest parts of the mountain, with tussock grasses such as Festuca pilgeri, bogs of Carex runssoroensis, giant groundsels and giant lobelias.

Open wooded grassland with Erythrina and Combretum covers part of the lower, drier north-eastern slopes. Mount Elgon National Park 16,900 ha was gazetted in 1968, it covers a narrow transect up the north-eastern slopes of the mountain, from lower montane forest to the caldera edge. The remaining forest and moorland (73,000 hactares) is part of Mount Elgon Forest Reserve. The north-eastern wooded grassland (5,000 ha) is unprotected. The Ugandan side of the mountain, above 2,000 meters, is protected within Uganda's Mount Elgon National Park. Mount Elgon is an important water catchment for the Nzoia River, which flows into Lake Victoria, and for the Turkwel River, which flows into Lake Turkana.

The globally threatened, restricted-range Macronyx sharpei is local and uncommon on the moorland where it has been collected at 3,400 meters. Other restricted range species are Cisticola hunteri, which is common above 3,500 meters, and Francolinus jacksoni known from just one sight record. Mount Elgon has a rich montane avifauna. The wooded grasslands on the northeastern side hold a number of unusual birds, including the Sudan - Guinea Savanna biome species that all have very restricted ranges in Kenya. Nineteen of Kenya's 43 Guinea - Congo Forests biome species have been recorded, although as many as 10 of these may now be extinct. Regionally threatened species include Gypaetus barbatus, Stephanoaetus coronatus (resident in small numbers), Francolinus streptophorus (very scarce), Sarothrura affinis (scarce resident), Bubo capensis, Glaucidium tephronotum (uncommon), Indicator conirostris (uncommon), Phyllastrephus baumanni (may be extinct), Kakamega poliothorax (may be extinct), Sheppardia polioptera (uncommon) and Campephaga quiscalina (uncommon).

Mount Elgon National Park is home to 305 species of birds most of which are only found, Jackson's and Moorland Francolins, endemic to Kenya, Hartlaub's Turaco, Black-collared Apalis, and Streaky-headed Seedeater. Others include, Tullberg's Woodpecker, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Woodpecker, Grey - Cuckooshrike, Black-headed Batis, Doherty's Bush-shrike, Yellow-billed Shrike, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Blue-crested Flycatcher, Dusky Tit, Chubb's Cisticola, African Emerald Cuckoo, Rosss Turaco, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Plain Nightjar, Sabine's Spinetail, Buff-spotted Flufftail, Western-banded Snake Eagle, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Bruce's Green Pigeon, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Yellowbill, Red-throated Wryneck, Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture), Bat hawk, , Crowned Eagle, Mountain Buzzard, Red-chested Owlet, Forest Wood-hoopoe, Pallid Honeyguide.