The bamboo and thick ground cover of ferns, vines, and other plant growth severely hinder direct access on foot.

[4] Also known as the "Place of Darkness",[5] the forest is on the edge of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, only a few kilometers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) border and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the Virunga Mountains.

[7][8] The forest has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a World Heritage Site for its biological significance.

[9] The forest's birds include great blue turacos, black-billed turacos, black bee-eaters, African green broadbills, handsome francolins, African black ducks and Cassin’s grey flycatchers, white-tailed blue flycatcher, brown-necked parrot, and white-bellied robin chat.

[13][14] In 1991, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established, adjacent to the Uganda, Rwanda and DRC border region.