Description

The name Kudremukh can be interpreted in literary terms as horse face and denotes an exotic and spectacular view of a mountain sidethat resembles the face of a horse. Kudremukh is located in Chikmanglur district along the border with Udupi and South Canara districts is one of the most undiscovered of hill stations in Karnataka. It is the second highest peak in Karnataka at a height of 1894 meters above sea level. An offbeat location with few travelers, the regions holds some of the highest peaks in Karnataka Western Ghats. Tea and coffee plantations, unknown villages, secluded waterfalls, beautiful trekking trails, streams, rivers and jungles makes it an ideal location for the nature and adventure lover. 

The park with an area of 600.32 sq.kms is 1,894.3 meters above sea level and is rich in iron ore deposits. Country’s largest iron ore mining company, Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL) is situated within the park area. The park is cool and salubrious round the year, but during monsoon from June to September, there is heavy rainfall. The best time to visit the park is immediately after the monsoon ie, October to May when the forests are lush green. To watch the wild animals best time to visit is between December and February.

There is a wide variety of flora and fauna in the park. The park is covered with thick hilly forests, mostly evergreen and semi-evergreen near the coastal plains on the western portion; and the shoal–grassland habitat at elevations above 1400m on the Western Ghats. Plantations of Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Acacia auriculiformis and Grevillea robusta are found here. The park is surrounded by Coffee and Tea plantations on the northern and eastern boundaries.

kudremukh is a favourite among trekkers. The trails through dense forests and tropical riverbeds with varying degrees of difficulty, attract those seeking an adrenaline rush. You can witness rare orchids and enjoy the fresh mountain air as you explore the grassland. The Kudremukh range of mountains was declared a national park in 1987. You need to have prior permission and a licensed guide to trek to the summit. The Kudremukh National Park is the second largest protected region in the Western Ghats that is spread over an area spanning 600 sq km.The wild animals seen in the park include tiger, leopard, wild dog, jackal, lion-tailed macaque, common langur, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, Malabar giant squirrel, giant flying squirrel, porcupine and the mongoose,langurs, macaques, barking deer, malabar giant squirrels, chitals and langurs , leopards, and wild dogs.

The best time to visit Kudremukh is between the months of October to February. The region in and around Kudremukh receives about 7000 mm of rainfall per annum.

CONNECTIVITY TO KUDREMUKH: Nearest major rail station is Mangalore which is connected by rail to many other parts of the country. Mangalore is the nearest domestic Airport,  which is 130 km away and Bangalore is the nearest international Airport, which is 350 km away. Kudremukh is well connected by KSRTC buses and Private and public transport buses connect easily to Karkala (50 km), Bangalore (350 km) and Mangalore (130 km).

Tips

• The trekking experience was absolutely great though gruesome because of it being close to 18 km of total turn around time. 
•  You have to park your vehicle at the base station village and go to the trekking start point in a jeep. They normally charge 500-600 per jeep. It is a pure off-road, which normal vehicles can't go through. 
  
• trekking charges are 500 per head including the guide. It will take a minimum of 3 hrs 15 minutes to reach the peak, which would even go up to 5 hours depends on your speed.
•  The guide is mandatory and fees of the guide is 500 INR. One guide for 8 persons. Even if you go alone, need to pay guide fee or you can join with other groups. Entry fee is 425INR.
  
•  Better start trekking before 7.30 Am. If you start late, by the time you reach the peak, it will be sunny. 
  
• There is food to pack from the base of your need and. Carry water bottles so that you don't have to worry about water as there are numerous streams on the path to fill the refreshing cold water to recharge you. 
•  Make sure you dump any kind of plastic and respect the rules of the ghats to not dump any stuff for which you may also be fined. 
• From the top meadows are most beautiful, but most of the time will be covered by Fog, if you visit mid of September then clear visibility will be there.
  

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