Best Trekking Tours in Yelagiri

Trekking in Yelagiri will bring forth a cluster of idyllic landscapes and majestic mountain view. Yelagiri is hemmed in by four mountains and there are a total of 14 tribal villages. Yelagiri was formerly known as Vellore and it is the unique setup of hills, lakes, and forests in a very uninterrupted state. Visiting Yelagiri from any of the nearby cities like Bangalore or Chennai can be your escape to the land which is free from pollution, traffic and is an oasis of serenity.

Yelagiri trekking can be done throughout the year as the hill is untapped and cool with only a temple and a lake. Yelagiri is hill is located at an elevation of 920 meters above sea level. On your trekking expedition, you will be walking well-marked stone and mud path. The geography of Yelagiri boasts a list of trekking trails and Swamimalai peak is the highest peak in the region with a height of around 4338 ft. above sea level. Other famous treks are Palamathi hills, Javadi hills, Peerumedu and Jalagamparai waterfalls near Puthur can be done any time of the year. It is advisable to avoid waterfall treks in summers as the volume of water falling is quite low compared to the post-monsoon season.

Your Yelagiri trekking plan should always start with taking permission from the district forest office in Yelagiri or Tirupattur. Yelagiri is situated at a distance of around 145 Km from Bangalore and 250 from Chennai. Hence, making it one of the untapped hill stations for the city dwellers to explore. The starting point or the base village for doing Swamimalai hill trek is Mangalam village. The well-marked route has stone steps at some gradual distance and the rest of the path is muddy, turning from broad to narrow.

As you cross the houses in the village, you are taken to deeper forests and once you come to the grassland, you can sport the peak of Swamimalai. People often start early in the dawn to reach the top of the peak to be able to witness the sunrise. Sunrise is the best here. From Swamimalai peak take 5 KM long trail to reach the famous waterfall of Jalagamparai. A downhill route will take you to the waterfalls and both these treks can be accomplished by beginners because of the easy walking trails. Jalagamparai is the river Attaru falling from a height of 30 meters and you can even reach this waterfall from Athanavur village. Other routes for trekking in Yelagiri are Puthur to Perumadu waterfalls and Palamathi, Javadi hills.

All these treks have moderate difficulty level and can be done by anyone. You will find thorny bushes, thick forests, muddy roads and many rivulets crossing your way. Be careful on the rocky bends and the descent in these forests where your trail might be outlined with thorny shrubs. Yelagiri is actually quite offbeat and you must trek to these points before this quaint hill station is flocked by hordes of tourists.