Hiking trails

17 trails, at least one in each of Cameroon's ten regions. Every distance, ascent and duration below is for the standard route and a moderately fit hiker.

17 trails

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Permit

South-West

4,040 m

Mount Cameroon — Guinness Route to Fako Summit

Nearest town: Buea

West Africa's highest peak and an active volcano: 4,040 m of rainforest, montane grass and black lava, climbed from Buea in two hard days.

Distance: 36 km
Time: 2 days
Ascent: 3,080 m

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Permit

North-West

3,011 m

Mount Oku and the Kilum-Ijim Forest

Nearest town: Elak-Oku (Kumbo)

Cameroon's second-highest peak at 3,011 m, ringed by the largest surviving montane forest in West Africa and a crater lake the Oku people hold sacred.

Distance: 18 km
Time: 9 h
Ascent: 960 m

West

2,740 m

Mount Bamboutos Ridge Traverse

Nearest town: Mbouda

A 2,740 m ridge walk across the roof of the Western Highlands, above Mbouda — long, open, cold, and the finest high-country views in Cameroon.

Distance: 22 km
Time: 10 h
Ascent: 1,080 m

Littoral

2,411 m

Manengouba Crater and the Twin Lakes

Nearest town: Bangem / Melong

A grassy caldera rim at 2,411 m above Bangem, holding the male and female lakes — big skies, Fulani cattle herds, and the gentlest high-altitude walking in Cameroon.

Distance: 14 km
Time: 7 h
Ascent: 780 m

Permit

South-West

2,064 m

Mount Kupe from Nyasoso

Nearest town: Nyasoso (Tombel)

A steep 2,064 m forest peak above Nyasoso, famous among birdwatchers for the Mount Kupe bushshrike and thick with local legend.

Distance: 11 km
Time: 8 h
Ascent: 1,230 m

North-West

1,920 m

Lake Awing Crater Walk

Nearest town: Awing (Santa)

A half-day highland loop around a quiet volcanic crater lake between Bamenda and Santa, through Fulani grazing land and eucalyptus.

Distance: 9.0 km
Time: 4 h
Ascent: 320 m

Adamawa

1,240 m

Ngaoundaba Crater Lake Loop

Nearest town: Ngaoundéré

Rolling Adamawa plateau walking to a forested crater lake south of Ngaoundéré — cool, green, and almost empty of other hikers.

Distance: 11 km
Time: 4 h 30
Ascent: 290 m

Far North

1,224 m

Rhumsiki and the Kapsiki Peaks

Nearest town: Rhumsiki (Mokolo)

Volcanic plugs standing out of the Mandara Mountains near the Nigerian border — Cameroon's most photographed landscape, walked village to village.

Distance: 12 km
Time: 5 h
Ascent: 420 m

Centre

1,073 m

Mont Fébé Circuit, Yaoundé

Nearest town: Yaoundé

A forested city hill rising above Yaoundé to 1,073 m — the best short training walk in the capital, doable before work.

Distance: 7.0 km
Time: 2 h 30
Ascent: 350 m

Permit

Littoral

Ekom-Nkam Falls Forest Walk

Nearest town: Nkongsamba

A short, wet, dramatic descent through rainforest to an 80 m waterfall on the Nkam river — the easiest big-payoff hike in Cameroon.

Distance: 2.8 km
Time: 2 h 30
Ascent: 210 m

Permit

North

Bénoué National Park Buffalo Trail

Nearest town: Garoua (Buffle Noir)

Guided savannah walking along the Bénoué river — buffalo, hippo, kob and roan antelope on foot, with an armed park ranger.

Distance: 10 km
Time: 4 h 30
Ascent: 140 m

Permit

East

Dja Faunal Reserve Forest Trek

Nearest town: Somalomo (Abong-Mbang)

A multi-day walk into a UNESCO World Heritage rainforest with Baka guides — forest elephant, gorilla and chimpanzee country, and the most demanding trek in Cameroon.

Distance: 45 km
Time: 3 days
Ascent: 620 m