The 'Bale Mountains' (also known as the 'Urgoma Mountains') are a range of
mountains in the
Oromia Region of southeast
Ethiopia, south of the
Awash River. They include
Tullu Demtu, the second-highest mountain in Ethiopia (4377 meters), and
Mount Batu (4307 meters). The
Web River, a tributary of the
Jubba River, rises in these mountains east of
Goba. The
Bale National Park covers 2,200 square kilometers of these mountains.
The Bale Mountains are home to many of Ethiopia's
endemic animals, notably the
Ethiopian Wolf, (''Canis simensis''), found on the
Sanetti Plateau. The park also contains the
Harenna Forest, situated to the south of the mountains which is a largely unexplored area thought to contain many undiscovered species of reptile as well as
lion,
leopard and various types of
antelope. Besides wildlife the National Park offers exceptional trekking opportunities from the park headquarters at
Dinsho. (
Dodola is also a useful base for exploring these mountains.)