Gashaka Gumti National Park Thematic Guide Collection and Geographic Resources

Nigeria's largest protected wilderness spanning savanna lowlands to montane highlands

Gashaka-Gumti National Park

Gashaka-Gumti National Park represents Nigeria's premier protected wilderness area and the nation's largest national park, spanning a remarkable gradient of ecosystems from lowland savanna to montane forest. The park straddles the border regions of Taraba and Adamawa States in northeastern Nigeria, sharing its southern boundary with Cameroon. The geographical diversity is extraordinary: the northern portions consist of relatively flat Guinea savanna grassland ideal for viewing large herds of grazing ungulates, while the southern sector transforms into a dramatic landscape of steep mountain slopes, deep valleys, and gorges blanketed in montane forest. This topographical variation supports an exceptional breadth of biodiversity, with 103 mammal species recorded within the boundaries. The park functions as a critical watershed, feeding the Benue River system and maintaining reliable river flow throughout the year despite the semi-arid regional climate. Within the park boundaries exist designated enclaves where local Fulani pastoral communities continue traditional land-use practices, creating a complex human-wildland interface that requires careful management. The park's establishment followed decades of conservation advocacy, including early wildlife surveys in the late 1960s and 1970s that recognized the urgent need to protect the watersheds of the forested mountains supplying the Taraba River.