Explore · Nature

Ridges, water, and a living forest

Peaks, falls, lakes and notified forests. Enter Kudremukh and Bhadra only with a permit. Nothing here is a live gate.

Seasons

Four weathers, four districts.

Come for the season you can actually walk.

Season notes
Clear ridges, harvest air
November – FebruaryClear ridges, harvest airSunrise walks on the Baba Budan Giri range
Hill shade, thinner falls
March – MayHill shade, thinner fallsGarden and viewpoint days at Kemmanagundi
The ghats become water
June – SeptemberThe ghats become waterWaterfall country from safe, official viewpoints
Green, still dripping
OctoberGreen, still drippingPhotography on Charmadi and the coffee canopy

In the open

Water, ridge, and forest.

The outdoor catalogue from this companion, grouped the way you look for them.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls

Seasonal cascades, fullest after the monsoon, quieter in summer.

13

Dams & reservoirs

Dams & reservoirs

Working reservoirs on the Bhadra and the old Kudremukh hills.

2

Lakes

Lakes

Irrigation tanks and evening water, with the Baba Budan range on the skyline.

5

Peaks & viewpoints

Peaks & viewpoints

Grass-and-shola ridges, from Karnataka’s roof to the horse-face mountain.

7

Wildlife & forests

Wildlife & forests

Tiger reserve and national park, enter only with a forest permit.

2

Viewpoints

Viewpoints

Road-head notches and ghat shelves, stop, look, keep moving with daylight.

6

Treks

Treks

Walked ridges and grassland, permits and weather first, not a packaged hike sold here.

9

All places

A biodiversity hotspot is not a backdropResponsible travel

A biodiversity hotspot is not a backdrop

These hills sit in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage biodiversity hotspot. Shola grassland is easy to scar and slow to heal. Stay on existing paths. Do not cut across meadows for a photograph. Pack every wrapper back to town.

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