Trekking at Makalidurga

This is a guide for a one day trip to Makalidurga. It is a beautiful place to trek and explore located aproximately 70 kms from Bangalore, near Dodbalapur. You can camp at night at this place, as of Feb 2017, there were no police restrictions. However as of august 2017, Bangalore’s forest department has made a few eco trails around the city.

You may find some guides from forest department to help you out at the base at these locations. More info here: https://myecotrip.com/trails/1/Bangalore%20landscape

HOW TO REACH

You can reach by road or by rail. A convinient way to go is by a scooter or car. You can park at the bottom of the hill. A local guy sits there to guard the parked vehicles and charges 20-30 Rs.

You can take a bus that goes via doddaballpura. It lies 10 kms ahead of the town.
By rail you can directly get ticket for Makalidurga railway stop. 56503/Bengaluru Cantt. – Vijayawada Passenger
This is the direct train that takes you. Departs at 7:40AM from Majestic Daily. You will find trains coming back from the station as well. Ask about the timings at the Makalidurga Station.

ABOUT THE TREK

It is quite an adventurous trek.You will find a trail at the bottom after crossing the railway tracks. It will lead you to the top.

However to make it more adventurous, we decided to ditch the trail and climbed from the opposite direction.It was difficult and we had to find different ways to reach the top. It took us about 2 hours to get to the top.

You may try to find your own trail or stick with the existing one, both are fun.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

Carry adequate water
Rocks might be slippery in monsoon, stick to the trail in monsoon.
Keep some food with you. It is beautiful at the top, you may want to spend more time than planned.

WHERE TO EAT

Many restaurants are there approx. 10 km before Makalidurga, at Dodbalapur.
Few vendors sell packed snacks near Makalidurga on the main road.

WHAT TO EXPLORE

Fort ruins
Temple at the top
Two water reservoirs adjacent to the hill

PICTURES FROM THIS TRIP

Start of the trail
On the Trail
Hill Top
Reservoirs around the hill
View from the trail
Ruins at the hill top
View from Trail

Ensure you travel responsibly and keep your carbon footprint to the minimum. Happy Exploring!

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Ismail Lakdawala

A digital content creator, Ismail loves to explore new destinations and enjoys outdoor adventures! He's in love with all forms of stories, and is a big fan of movies and books!