Top Hiking Trails in Ghana

Best known for its gorgeous Atlantic coastline and immense cultural wealth, Ghana is also a great destination for keen walkers. While this compact West African country may lack any show-stopping hiking icons, a well-organized network of reserves and community-based ecotourism projects offers fantastic guided day walks in lush tropical settings inhabited by elephants, monkeys, and other wildlife—often with few other humans.

Here are 10 of our favorite hikes and walks in Ghana.

Mole National Park

Best hike for unforgettable elephant encounters
No fixed distance; 2–3 hours; easy

Ghana’s largest and most developed safari destination, Mole National Park extends across 4,840 sq km (1,870 sq miles) of dry savanna in the country’s far north. It’s home to around 90 mammal species, including approximately 500 elephants, 1,000 buffalo, and healthy numbers of warthogs, baboons, and antelopes.

Although Mole can be explored on a network of 4WD tracks, a more exciting option is a guided walking safari, leading to close-up encounters with the park’s famously relaxed elephants. Though walking conditions are usually easy, it can get hot, and covered shoes are required for protection against snakes and other creatures.

Wli Waterfall Trail

Best hike for hearing the roar of water (and fruit bats)
From 2.5 km (1.5 miles) in each direction; 2 hours; easy (with a possible moderate-hard extension)

Purportedly the tallest waterfall in West Africa, Wli Falls tumbles 80m (260ft) over a sheer cliff into a lovely natural pool that invites swimming. The flat and winding footpath to the lower waterfall involves at least eight river crossings as it traverses Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary, a haven for birds and butterflies.

Additionally, the cliffs around Wli Falls host a breeding colony of 500,000 straw-colored fruit bats that create a stunning spectacle at dusk, as they take flight in a frenzied display, nearly drowning out the sound of the plunging water.

Mount Afadjato

Best hike for checking another peak off your list
2 km (1.2 miles) in each direction; 1.5–2 hours; moderate

Widely recognized as Ghana’s tallest peak, Afadjato rises to 885m (2,905ft) on the Togolese border, about 20 km (12 miles) south of Wli Falls. The steepest hike to the summit climbs 350m (1,150ft) over 2 km (1.2 miles) and leads west from the village of Liati Wote, where guided hikes can be arranged locally. From the peak, trekkers are rewarded with stunning views over Lake Volta, with tropical monkeys, birds, and butterflies seen along the ascent.

Lake Bosomtwe

Best hike for lakeside village-hopping
Up to 32 km (20 miles) of trails; easy

Located 35 km (20 miles) southeast of the historic Ashanti capital, Kumasi, Bosomtwe is an almost perfectly circular lake set in a steep-sided, million-year-old impact crater created by a meteorite strike. Despite the absence of a formal hiking trail around the lake, a network of local footpaths connects various lakeshore fishing villages, making it ideal for an easy trek amidst scenic landscapes and interactions with local communities.

Kakum National Park

Best way to walk through the rainforest canopy
2.7 km (1.7 miles); 1 hour; easy (but not suited to vertigo sufferers)

Ghana’s largest remaining tract of tropical rainforest features its oldest and most famous canopy walkway. Suspended about 40 m (131 ft) above the forest floor, this 350m (1,150ft)-long walkway connects seven platforms attached to tall tree trunks, typically completed in about one hour.

Crossing the walkway offers a unique monkey’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy while providing the chance to spot spectacular forest birds such as the yellow-casqued wattled hornbill and the great blue turaco. Although the canopy walk is the main attraction for most visitors, wildlife enthusiasts may opt for an extended guided walk to explore more of the park’s rich biodiversity.

Mount Krobo

Best hike for discovering a unique hilltop cultural landscape
1.8 km (1.1 miles) in each direction; 1 hour; easy

Grand views of Lake Volta and encounters with baboons await at Mount Krobo, a striking inselberg dominating the main road between Accra and Akosombo Dam. Unique to this area are the 19th-century ruins littered across its rocky summit, including remnants of a former chief’s palace and a ceremonial stone still used by the local Krobo people for traditional rituals.

Bunso Arboretum

Best hike for family adventures
1–5 km (0.6–3.1 miles); 1–5 hours; easy

Established in 1937, the family-friendly 16.5-hectare (42-acre) Bunso Arboretum protects a patch of indigenous forest, as well as an agricultural research station and botanical garden featuring palm, cacao, and other introduced trees. The network of trails offers an enjoyable experience through attractive forests and plantations, accompanied by a herb garden, butterfly sanctuary, and other family-friendly attractions.

Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Reserve

Best walk for frolicking with monkeys
1–3 km (0.6–1.9 miles); 1–2 hours; easy

This pioneering community-ecotourism site was established in 1974 by the twin villages of Boabeng and Fiema, where there’s a longstanding belief in the sanctity of monkeys. The reserve protects a small forest inhabited by habituated troops of two primate species: the beautiful mona monkey and acrobatic black-and-white colobus. Although walks here cover short distances, visitors can enjoy hours of wandering through the forest, observing these delightful, playful creatures.

Shai Hills Resource Reserve

Best hiking close to Accra
2–10 km (1.25–6.2 miles); moderate

Named after the Shai people previously residing in the area, this fenced reserve protects a range of low hills interlaced with dirt roads and footpaths, ideal for guided walks with an armed ranger. Wildlife includes olive baboon, kob antelope, bushbuck, and vibrant birds, such as the Senegal parrot and the impressive Abyssinian ground hornbill. Remnants of the area’s earlier inhabitants, including a sacred bat cave and parts of a chief’s palace, add historical value to this natural space.

Amedzofe

Best hike for exploring the mountains around Ghana’s highest town
Permutations in the 2–6 km (1.25–3.75 mile) range; easy to moderate

Perched at a breezy altitude of 700m (2,297ft) in the Avatime Hills, Amedzofe resembles India’s famous hill stations and stands as one of Ghana’s most attractive bases for walking enthusiasts. A local ecotourism office can facilitate short hikes that lead to nearby waterfalls and landmarks, including Gemi Peak, the highest in the range, known for the prominent cross erected by missionaries in 1939.