Kudremukh National Park Near Chikmagalur in Western Ghats

Kudremukh National Park is located in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka, India. It is part of the Western Ghats and is spread across the districts of Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada & Udupi. Kudremukh National Park stretches between Narasimha Parvatha in Sringeri Taluk in the north to Jamalabad Fort in Belthangady Taluk in the south. Kudremukh National Park is the second-largest Protected Area for wild animals in the Western Ghats. Kudremukh is a famous mining town also.


Kudremukh National Park's Horse shaped peak
Kudremukh National Park’s Horse shaped peak
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Kudremukh National Park is famous for its scenic beauty and is rich in flora and fauna. The park is spread over 600.32 square kilometers and is at an altitude of 1,894 meters. This Park was named because of the peak’s shape, which is like that of a horse face. (Kudure means horse in the local language, Kannada)

There are thousands of perennial streams in the region that converge and form three major rivers: River Tunga, River Bhadra, and River Nethravathi.

The park is home to many wildlife like Bengal tiger, leopard, wild dog, common langur, Malabar giant squirrel, etc, to name a few. Lion-tailed macaque, an endangered species is found here. This park is listed as a Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I site, a list of such sites by international agencies like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and its Indian arm WWF-India.

There are around 195 species of birds in the park, and it is ideal for Bird watching. There are many reptiles like Snakes and tortoises in the National Park.

Kudremukh Trekking

From 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., trekking is allowed inside the Kudremukh Peak. You need to get a trekking permit from the Forest Range Officer. Hanuman Gundi Waterfalls is at 32 kilometers distance from Kalasa. This fall is inside Kudremukh National Park, and entry is restricted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kadambi Falls is also inside this national park. Sringeri Sharada Peetham is near to the National Park.

How Do I Go to Kudremukh National Park?

Kudremukh National Park is situated 50 kilometers from Karkala town. Kalasa and Sringeri towns are 20 kilometers distance from the National Park. National Park is 96 kilometers southwest of Chikmagalur town. Bangalore is 360 kilometers away from the Park.

The nearest airport and railway station to this National Park is 130 kilometers away at Mangalore.

Accommodation Near to the National Park

Forest Department has Rest Houses inside the park, which offers accommodation. Kalasa, Karkala & Sringeri are other nearby towns with good hotels.