Overview
Lake Ngozi or (Lake Ngosi) a thrilling crater lake in Southern Highlands of Tanzania and the second largest Crater Lake in Africa. It has a length of 2.5 kilometers and width of 1.5 kilometers and 75 meters deep.
The lake is located about 38 kilometers south of Mbeya city, near the sprawling Tukuyu Township. It is located on Ngosi peak on the Uporoto Mountains which makes part of Eastern Arc ranges.
It is located at an uplift of 2,600 meters above sea level in a thick, natural forest of the Uporoto nature reserve, covering some 9,332 hectares of land. To reach the lake, one has to drive and stop at the edge of the Uporoto Forest Reserve at the foothills of the Uporoto range. It takes up to two hours walking from the foothill to the ridge where the lake lies at 200 meters below.
This stunning caldera lake dates from some time in the Neocene period. The water is slightly brackish, contains some fish, and is up to 75 m deep. The lake has spiritual significance for the local inhabitants.
The mountain and the lake are counted to an age of one million years, and remains an old volcano that has now collapsed to form a wide caldera filled with a shining alkaline ‘soda’ waters.
It is a green shimmering lake walled by the collapsed caldera of the extinct Ngosi Volcano. The peak is the highest point of the Uporoto Ridge Forest Reserve. The forest has an endemic three horned chameleon (Chameleon fuelleborni).
Highlights
Crater Lake
Second-largest crater lake in Africa in a spectacular forest setting.
Forest Trek
Two-hour hike through Uporoto montane forest to the viewpoint.
2,600 m Elevation
Cool highland climate with panoramic mountain views.
Near Tukuyu
38 km south of Mbeya city, accessible from the Southern Highlands.
