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Kudremukh National Park, Kudremukh Overview
The national park popular for its astonishing scenic beauty is Located in the midst of mountain. The Kudremukh National Park spreads across 600-kilometre square area was Designated the status of a national park in the year of 1987 and is said to be the most well preserved national parks in the state.This national park is a direct connection to nature. You can actually touch the nature at its core here. The lush green grasslands, high rising peaks and amazing landscapes which would be a great background to your pictures. The flora and fauna in this region would amaze you with its diversity.The area that belongs to a tropical west evergreen forest is the second largest wildlife protected area belonging to the zone of Western Ghats.
The highest mountain
peak in this national park has its resemblance to the face of a horse from a
particular side and hence, the area gained its name Kudremukha which means
horse-face in the native language.It is the second highest peak in Karnataka
with a tremendous height of 1,894 meters (6,214 feet). The Kudremukha park is
the home and habitat to many endangered and endemic species of animals and
plants, which includes mammals such as tigers, leapards and wild dogs are also
included and hence, are the primary predators of the region.
Due to its richness in magnetite, the park was originally developed as an important iron-ore mining town, but with the help and dedication of the conservationists’ campaign against the adverse mining effects on the environment mining was prohibited successfully. The national park and its lush green surroundings are a blessing to the nature and wildlife lovers, and thereforeproviding you the best of Western Ghats in great detail.
More on Kudremukh National Park
Diverse Flora and Fauna in the region
The kudremukh national park provides shelter to a number of diverse flora and fauna and is considered as a hotspot region. A variety of fauna is this region are spotted in this national park which includes langur, sloth bear, lion-tailed macaque, barking deer, giant flying squirrels and much more. The national park was marked red list by the IUCN. This region is a hotspot for amphibians, reptiles and other endangered species.
The rain density is incredibly high in this forest and therefore the bountifulness of almost 7000mm of rainfall every year has provided the forest a dense cover which is mainly covered by semi-evergreen and evergreen trees. The exotic grassland surrounds the hills of the forest providing you a really photogenic background for your pictures.
The national park being extremely wide provides home to many diverse species of flora which are on the verge of extinction. Some of these plants are Nilambur cobra lily and the south Indian jewel orchids are also found here which provides the visitors and trekkers a great opportunity to have such a rare experience. Other plants found here are silk oats, eucalyptus, acacia etc.
Things to Do at Kudremukh National Park
Heaven
to ornithologists
People who are in love with bird
watching are going to find this place a paradise for their love for bird
watching. This national park has a huge variety of are birds that are found in
abundancy like Malabar whistling thrush, Malabar trogan, imperial pigeons etc.
So, if bird watching makes you go woo come here to
have an amazing experience.
Hiking and Trekking
This place is a complete package of delight for every nature lover and hikers
and trekkers. This trek would be completed in a day and rises for about
1,900 meters with amazing landscapes and beautiful cloudy skies. This place is an amalgamation of unforgettably beautiful
landscapes that would take your breath away! There are a number of alternate
routes for trekking leaving you with choices, and therefore you need to plan
accordingly.Due to the presence of wild animals visitors are not allowed
to do camping here. Camping is strictly prohibited. Also you need to take a
permit from the permit officer before you start to trek. This trek is your best choice if you want to have some
adventure in your life.
Permit at kudremukh national park
before you start your trek it is necessary for you to take the permit from the permit office which is located at the kudremukh town for trekking, it is really important prior to start the trek. It is really easy for you to get the permit without any problem so, do not take this for granted. Also, keep in mind that camping is not allowed on the premises of the national park due to the presence of wild animals so, kindly avoid that as it can be a matter of great offense.
Places To Visit Near Kudremukh National Park
The kudremukh peak is one of the highest peaks in the state of
Karnataka and is a must visit site for anyone. The Kudremukh peak extends up to
a height of 1,894 meters, i.e. 6,214 feet. No doubt, it is one of the
mostastonishing locations for you to draw yourself in the true beauty of
greenery and nature. The amazing pastures of green meadows and fresh and breezy
atmosphere promises to provide you with breathtaking experiences at each and every step that you would take. Three major
rivers – Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravati flow through the land and gives you an
amazing background for pictures. There are also a wide variety of tea and
coffee plantations growing in this region where you can have a sip of your
favorite freshly made hot beverage. Few places of interest are:
Hanumana Gundi Falls (aka Suthanabbe
Falls): the immensely beautiful waterfall is
a delight to your eyes which is located on the Kalasaroadand hence, falls from
a height of 72 feet above the ground.
Kadambi Falls: the
amazing and really exotic kadambi falls would make you feel really peaceful and
provides you a relief from all the stress just by looking at it. It can be
viewed easily is you take the route of the state highway 66 and is also located
at the Kalasa road.
VarahaThirtha: A clean and lovely pond to have picnic with your
family.
Gangamoola Hill: if you’re looking for a place which has both religious and geographical importance then you must visit this place as it is the origin of the three rivers namely Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravati.
History of Kudremukh National Park
In 1916 the region of kudremukh was designated as a nature reserve to protect the tigers during the britishera.The Kudremukh township and the nearby regions are famous for the magnetite ore and hence is a hub for iron-ore mining in the late 20th century. It was a major site for mining due to its large proportion of magnetite ore and hence the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) started to mine here for about 309 years but the ming had adverse effects on the animals living there. Which in turn lead to the ban on mining activities here and hence, the company was forced to shut down.Conservationists raisedissues on mines against the mining in order to preserve the natural beauty of the region. The company tried to run the business by starting resort business there but it wasn’t of great profit to them and hence, it didn’t work out for them.
Best Time of the year To Visit Kudremukh National Park
The best time to visit the national park is from the month of October to may as its mostly serene and beautiful during this time with amazing weather conditions and friendly environment. One should avoid to visit at the time of monsoon that is from June to September as it would be difficult for you to trek at that time of the year.
Some important Tips For Visiting Kudremukh National Park
- In order to experience a hassle free trekking experience one should visit the the reserve forest office located at the kudremukh town to get a better and elaborated information about the trek and also can get the permit from there.They also provide information about accommodation facilities.
2. During the monsoon season, be careful as it was found that blood sucking leeches are found in a large number here.
How to Reach the Kudremukh National Park
It is quite easy to reach the kudremukh national park once you have planned your trip. The kudremukh national park can be accessed from various towns nearby such as kakala or kalasa depending on the places you want to visit there. Mangalore is the nearest major city to the national park. No train facilities are available to reach the national park although buses are provided on a regular basis to reach the national park. Try to plan your day accordingly.