Wind4wings (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia CommonsKudremukh — "horse face" in Kannada, for the shape its summit ridge cuts against the sky — is Karnataka's second-highest peak at roughly 1,892–1,894 m, and the single most iconic trek inside Kudremukh National Park. The park itself was declared in 1987 and spans about 600 sq km across Chikmagalur and Dakshina Kannada districts — the second-largest protected tract of tropical wet evergreen forest in the Western Ghats, and one of the range's recognised biological hotspots. Three rivers — the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi — are all said to originate within its boundaries.
It shares its base area with the Nethravati trek (both start near Samse/Mullodi), but Kudremukh is the longer, more strenuous day: an 18 km round trip through dense Shola forest, stream crossings and open grassland to a summit with sweeping Western Ghats views.
Since 2024 every permit for this trek is issued online through the Forest Department's Aranya Vihaara portal — there is no walk-up or offline booking. A rugged jeep ride from Samse or Gadi to Mullodi village, the actual trailhead, is worth arranging in advance; it saves a genuinely rough stretch of approach road.
Distance
~18 km round trip
Duration
6–8 hours
Elevation
~1,894 m (2nd highest in Karnataka)
Base village
Mullodi, via Samse/Gadi
Day 1
Day 2
18 km6–8 hours
Sources disagree on the exact current figure — confirm on the Aranya Vihaara portal at the time of booking.
Fits 6–8 people; arrange in advance with your homestay or local operator.
Forest permit required
Start early from Mullodi so the 18 km round trip is finished well before dusk.
Required documents
Forest entry permit desk & mandatory trek guide handover
Contact number not confirmed yet — verify locally before travelling.
Both start near Samse/Mullodi, but Kudremukh is the longer and more strenuous of the two — 18 km against Nethravati’s 14, with more elevation gain. Go in fitter than you would for Nethravati.
Yes — book online through the Aranya Vihaara portal in advance. There has been no offline or walk-up permit option since 2024.
No, camping inside the national park is banned. This is a single, long day trek — plan to be back at Mullodi by dusk.
By 4x4 jeep, arranged locally — roughly ₹2,000 return per vehicle, shared across 6–8 people. The road is rough enough that most groups don’t attempt it on foot or by regular car.
Forest edge, Chikmagalur, Chikmagalur
A slow, green homestay where the forest starts at the gate
A quiet, green homestay on the forest edge — home-cooked meals, a garden that decides the menu, and birdsong loud enough to be the reason you wake up.
2 guests1 bedrooms1 bathsHomestay
₹2,700 ₹5,500 / night
Staging your Kudremukh attempt from Chikmagalur town? Ayus Nature Homestay is a comfortable base the night before an early start.
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