Treks Near Mangalore: Kudremukh, Netravathi, Bandaje and the Easy Hikes Closer to the Coast

Where Mangaluru trekkers actually go

Mangaluru sits on the coast, but the Western Ghats rise only a couple of hours’ drive inland, where Dakshina Kannada meets Chikkamagaluru and Udupi districts. That border country, around Kudremukh National Park, Belthangady and the Charmadi side of the ghats, holds almost every serious trek a Mangalore resident does on a weekend. Most of it is forest land, and since 2024 the Karnataka Forest Department sells every permit for these trails on one site, Aranya Vihaara (aranyavihaara.karnataka.gov.in). Book before you set out: the permit, the slot and the daily cap all live on that site.

The figures that follow come from the portal itself, checked on 28 October 2026 for Saturday 7 November 2026. The trail length, duration and daily cap are what the department lists; the trail descriptions on the same portal sometimes give longer distances, and we flag those where they differ.

Every one of these trails had a single entry slot, 6 AM to 11 AM, on the day we checked. That timing decides the trip from Mangaluru: you either leave the city in the small hours or stay the night near Kalasa, Kudremukh or Charmadi. The full mechanics of booking, from choosing a district to paying, are the same across Karnataka and are explained step by step in our guide to treks near Bengaluru, so we cover only what matters for coastal trekkers here.

Aranya Vihaara rules that catch Mangalore trekkers out

• Book 1 to 30 days ahead. Same-day bookings are not allowed, and nothing opens more than a month out. Netravathi was already full for the first Saturday in November when we checked, so book the day your date enters the 30-day window.
• Carry the original ID you booked with. It is checked against the booking on the trek day.
• Arrive at least 10 minutes before your slot starts. For a 6 AM slot at Mullodi or Samse, that means a very early start from the coast.
• Cancelling costs money. Under the policy in force from 15 July 2026, cancelling 8 or more days before the trek refunds 50%; within 7 days there is no refund, and a cancelled ticket cannot be rebooked.
• No plastic. The Kudremukh-range trail descriptions call these plastic-free, litter-free zones. Bring steel bottles and boxes.

When the Kudremukh trails are open: the 2026 calendar

The surprise for anyone used to the Bengaluru hills is that the Kudremukh-range treks are not shut through the monsoon. The portal’s calendar for 2026 shows Kudremukh, Netravathi, Kurinjal and Gangadikal closed from 14 January to 31 May, the dry, fire-prone months, plus a few days in early January, 7–10 July and 2–3 August. Kurinjal was also shut on 2–4 October. The Bandaje falls and Ballalarayana Durga trails were blocked on just one day, 2 August. Closures are set each year, so check the date on the portal before you plan anything.

Being open is not the same as being pleasant. Mangaluru itself, which is wetter than most of India, took an average of 956 mm of rain in June and 1,160 mm in July in the India Meteorological Department’s long-term record, and the same monsoon sits over the ghats inland. The months that combine an open trail with a walkable one are October to early January.

Kudremukh peak from Mangaluru

Kudremukh, the horse-faced peak that gives the national park its name, rises to 1,894 m in Kalasa taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. It is the biggest single day out on this list. The portal lists the route from the Mullodi anti-poaching camp at 18 km and 8 hours, while its own description puts the trek at about 22 km; Wikipedia gives 20–22 km. Plan for the longer figure. Getting there is half the challenge: Wikipedia puts Mangaluru’s airport 99 km from Kudremukh, Karnataka Tourism says 135 km, and its nearest railway station is Udupi, about 70 km away. Either way, a 6 AM start at Mullodi means sleeping nearby the night before.

What makes Kudremukh hard is not altitude but length and exposure. Most of the walk is open grassland with long, steady climbs and almost no shade, and the descent on tired legs is where people slip. If you can walk 20 km with a light pack and still go downhill steadily, you are ready.

Netravathi peak: the one that sells out

Netravathi, named for the river that rises on its slopes and reaches the sea at Mangaluru, is the trek coastal trekkers feel most attached to, and it is the hardest to get a place on. It is the only trail the portal lists under Dakshina Kannada district, starting from Kudcharu Upakallu near Samse. The listing says 12 km and 6 hours; the description says roughly 16–18 km through forest, streams and grassland, and calls it moderately challenging. With 300 places a day, it was sold out for the Saturday we checked, ten days ahead. Weekdays are your best chance.

Kurinjal and Gangadikal: Kudremukh’s quieter peaks

Both start at the Bhagwathi Nature Camp inside Kudremukh National Park and both had plenty of space on the day we looked. Kurinjal is the gentler of the two: the portal describes a moderate trail to a peak of around 1,100 m through tropical forest, meadow and rock. Gangadikal is listed at 8 km and 4 hours, with the description noting long stretches of rolling meadow and rocky ground and a 360-degree view from the top. Either makes a sensible first Western Ghats trek before you attempt Kudremukh itself.

Bandaje Arbi and Ballalarayana Durga, above Belthangady

The Bandaje falls, called Bandaje Arbi locally (arbi means waterfall in Tulu), drop about 200 feet in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada and can be reached only on foot. The trail starts at the Rani Jhari view point on the Chikkamagaluru side and is listed at 12 km and 6 hours, in the hardest grade. The shorter option from the same start point is Ballalarayana Durga, a 1,509 m hill topped by a fort built by the Hoysala king Vira Ballala I in the 12th century; the portal lists it at 6 km and 4 hours. In 2026 these two trails were open almost all year, which makes them the fallback when Kudremukh is closed.

Easy hikes near Mangalore within about 65 km: Jamalabad fort

If you searched for small or easy treks near Mangalore, Jamalabad fort, also called Gadaikallu, is the one most people mean. It is a granite hill about 8 km north of Belthangady town and about 65 km from Mangaluru, with a fort Tipu Sultan built in 1794 and named after his mother, Jamalabee. The climb is a long staircase cut into the rock, around 1,876 steps by Wikipedia’s count, to a top about 520 m above sea level. There is a small entry fee at the forest check post, entry runs from 6 AM to 4 PM, and overnight stays are not allowed. The rock is exposed and hot by late morning, so go early, and skip it in heavy rain, when the steps are slick.

A 6-week plan to get ready for Kudremukh from Mangaluru

The target is a 20 km day of climbing and descending on open grass, starting at dawn. Mangaluru helps: its hilly neighbourhoods, from Falnir up to Kadri and Bejai, give you real slopes to walk, and many apartment blocks have stairwells you can use when the rain comes in. The general method is in our guide to how to prepare for a trek; here is how to apply it on the coast, with three or four sessions a week.

1. 1

   Weeks 1–2: walk the slopes, start strength work

   Three brisk 45-minute walks that include the steepest roads near you, and two strength sessions of goblet squats, step-ups, Romanian deadlifts and calf raises, 3 sets of 10–12. Walk before 8 AM; Mangaluru’s afternoons are humid for most of the year.

2. 2

   Weeks 3–4: stairs with a loaded pack

   Climb your building’s stairs for 20–25 minutes straight carrying 4–5 kg, walking down slowly in between to train the descent. One weekend walk of 2 hours on the hilliest route you can find.

3. 3

   Week 5: a real rehearsal

   Climb Jamalabad’s steps, or do Kurinjal if you can book it, in the shoes and pack you will use on Kudremukh. Push the stair sessions to 30–35 minutes with 6–8 kg.

4. 4

   Week 6: taper and check your kit

   Halve the volume, keep one strength and one short stair session, and pack a rain shell, spare socks, steel bottles for 2–3 litres of water and food in steel boxes.

Staying safe on the Kudremukh-range trails

• Stay with the guide and on the listed route. These trails run through a national park with wild animals, and the portal’s caps and slots exist for safety as well as conservation.
• Start the descent with time to spare. The entry slot closes at 11 AM, and an 8-hour trail leaves little margin for a slow group.
• Treat October rain seriously. Mangaluru still averages 184 mm in October, and grassland rock turns slippery fast.
• Carry leech protection from June to October and check your socks and shoes at every stop.
• See a doctor first if you have a heart or lung condition, high blood pressure, are pregnant, or are coming back from an injury.

Training in Mangaluru between treks

Trek fitness fades in a few weeks if you stop, and Mangaluru’s monsoon is long. If you already lift at a gym in Bejai or Kankanady, Personal Gym Training in Mangaluru puts a coach on your phone while you train legs and back. Planning a group trip? Train together first in group classes in Mangaluru, from ₹499 a person. For the city’s own race season, see marathons in Mangaluru, and to fuel long trek days with local food, read healthy food in Mangaluru. The TDEE calculator estimates what a long walking day costs you. Everything else is on our page for online personal training in Mangaluru.