National park
West Lunga National Park
Zambia's only forest park: dry evergreen forest, dambos and papyrus in the north-west, for birders and self-sufficient campers.
1,783 km² · 0 gates · 0 campsites · Run by Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), Zambia
About the park
West Lunga lies between the West Lunga and Kabompo rivers in North-Western Province and is the only Zambian park covered in forest, a dense, dry evergreen Cryptosepalum forest broken by grassy dambos, chipya woodland and papyrus swamps. Poaching removed most lion, leopard and buffalo; today you may see puku, hippo, crocodile, elephant and monkeys, and impala are being released as part of a project begun in 2014. Birders come for forest species, notably the white-chested tinkerbird. The only entrance is at the Jivundu pontoon, about 65 km east of Kabompo, next to the DNPW office, reached by dirt track from the tarred M8. Inside there are only bush tracks that need a 4x4 and self-camping, and outside the rivers water is scarce.
Highlights
- Birding in the Cryptosepalum forest
- Camping by the West Lunga or Kabompo rivers
- Kafunfula community camp near Churu, north-east of the park
Good to know
- About 1,700 km² of dry evergreen forest, dambos and swamp
- Only entrance at the Jivundu pontoon, next to the DNPW office
- About 10 km north of the M8 Solwezi–Kabompo road
- Bush tracks need 4x4
- Self-camping only
Wildlife you may see
- Puku
- Hippo
- Nile crocodile
- Elephant
- Impala
- Vervet monkey
- Yellow baboon
- White-chested tinkerbird
Sightings are never guaranteed.
Gates
No gates confirmed yet.
Gate times change with the seasons: check with Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), Zambia before you travel.
Campsites
We're still checking the campsites here. They'll appear as soon as they're verified.
Park fees
| citizen | K33.6 per person day |
| citizen (any) | K34 per vehicle day |
| resident | US$5 per person day |
| regional | US$5 per person day |
| international | US$10 per person day |
| international (any) | US$15 per vehicle day |
Category B park. 2025–26 national DNPW tariff per person per day (a day is 06:00–18:00); SADC nationals and Zambian residents pay the regional rate; under-5s free, ages 5–13 half price. Vehicle fee per day: US$15 foreign-registered, K34 Zambian-registered (under 3 t). Pay cash at the gate.