What to expect
Mukurthi National Park
A high-altitude park in the western Nilgiris protecting shola-grassland ecosystems and the endangered Nilgiri tahr, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is no public road into it; entry is on permit from the Kundah side, and Sispara Pass and Bangitappal lie within its western reach.
Practical guide
Plan Mukurthi National Park
Who's going?Tailor Mukurthi National Park to your trip
Typewildlife
Nearest baseKundah
DistrictThe Nilgiris
Best timeOctober to March is the cooler, drier…
Time neededAbout an hour
Entry₹50
Places to visit6→Mukurthi National Park is planned from Kundah, one of the travel bases in The Nilgiris district. Use Kundah for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.
Getting there
How to visit
- Base yourself in Kundah or nearby in The Nilgiris, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
- If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
Timing
Best time
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
Weather in Mukurthi National ParkSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Mukurthi National Park
Sunrise6:14 am
Sunset6:35 pm
Golden hour best light5:35 pm–6:35 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:35 pm–7:00 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 279°
Moon tonight🌖 Waning gibbous · 83%
South-west monsoon. June to September brings heavy rain to Tamil Nadu. Trails, falls and ghat roads can be slippery, swollen or closed at short notice, and forest departments sometimes suspend access. Check locally on the day before you travel.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Photos
Mukurthi National Park in pictures
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Mukurthi National Park
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Mukurthi National Park — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
Verified inventory is being added here.
Verified places are being added. The category filters will fill in as approved stays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and nature listings go live.
List your placeRanked guides
Top experiences around Kundah
5 more places around Kundah, each worth a day of its own.
heritageSispara Pass
8.1 km · ~14 min by cab
A high mountain pass on the western edge of the Nilgiri plateau, historically part of an old route linking the hills to the Malabar coast. Standing above the sheer western escarpment near Mukurthi National Park, it is one of the wettest and most dramatic points in the Nilgiris, a classic restricted-permit trek overlooking Kerala's Silent Valley forests.
heritageBangitappal
3.5 km · ~9 min by auto
A remote grassland valley at the southwestern end of Mukurthi National Park, at the head of the Sispara Pass where two streams meet. Ringed by shola forest and rolling downs, it is a key stop on the classic multi-day Nilgiri high-altitude trek and requires forest-department permits.
heritageUpper Bhavani Reservoir
12.0 km · ~20 min by cab
A high reservoir at around 2,100 metres inside the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, marking the source region of the Bhavani river. The approach road passes through undisturbed Silent Valley shola forest, and the wildlife-rich area requires forest permits. It is one of the highest and most pristine dam sites in the Nilgiris.
heritageParsons Valley Reservoir
12.7 km · ~21 min by cab
A reservoir in dense forest of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve near Ooty and a key source of the town's drinking water. Surrounded by shola and grassland with frequent wildlife sightings, access is restricted and requires permits, keeping it a pristine, offbeat spot.
heritagePorthimund Dam
11.3 km · ~19 min by cab
Porthimund Dam is built across the Pykara river in the Kundah hills, about 18 km from Ooty and close to Parsons Valley. Set among forested slopes, it is part of the Kundah hydro-electric scheme and a quiet reservoir stop for visitors exploring the western circuit.
Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Mukurthi National Park? List it and it appears here once verified.
Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Mukurthi National Park — at a glance
Timings7:00 AM - 5:00 PM, permit-gated
Best timeApr-Jun and Sep-Nov; avoid heavy monsoon Jul-Aug
Entry price
- Indian adult
- ₹50
Government monuments, museums and forest reserves in India often charge foreign visitors more. We have not verified whether this site does — ask at the counter.
Fees change without notice. Check the current rate at the counter.
Entry: Forest department entry permit required (indicative — confirm on site)
Getting here
How to reach Mukurthi National Park
Nearest railway: Udagamandalam (UAM), ~35 km; nearest airport: Coimbatore (CJB) ~125 km
Getting around Mukurthi National Park
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Mukurthi National Park
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Mukurthi National Park
On the map
Where Mukurthi National Park is
Good to know
Mukurthi National Park — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Mukurthi National Park?
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
What are the entry fee and timings at Mukurthi National Park?
Entry: Forest department entry permit required (indicative — confirm on site). Timings: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM, permit-gated. The rupee figure quoted is the Indian adult rate. Government monuments, museums and forest reserves in India often charge foreign visitors more, and we have not verified whether this site does.
How do I reach Mukurthi National Park?
Base yourself in Kundah or nearby in The Nilgiris, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
How much time do I need for Mukurthi National Park?
About an hour.
What else is near Mukurthi National Park?
Nearby you can pair Bangitappal (3.5 km), Sispara Pass (8.1 km), Porthimund Dam (11.3 km), Upper Bhavani Reservoir (12.0 km).
Read before you go
Mukurthi National Park guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Mukurthi National Park itself yet. These cover Kundah, the town it sits in, and the wider district.
Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.
Story
The Blue Mountains by Steam: The Nilgiri Mountain Railway
6 min read · Read →
Guide
Masinagudi: A Guide to the Village Below the Nilgiris
9 min read · Read →
Guide
Kotagiri: A Guide to the Oldest and Quietest Nilgiri Hill Station
7 min read · Read →
Guide
Coonoor: A Guide to the Quieter Nilgiri Hill Station
7 min read · Read →
Guide
The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Tamil Nadu: A Traveller’s Guide
9 min read · Read →
Guide
Wildlife and Tiger Reserves of Tamil Nadu: A Field Guide
9 min read · Read →
Photographs: Rajeshdxb at English Wikipedia (Public domain), Timothy A. Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0), uvalove (CC BY-SA 3.0), Rakeshkdogra (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.
Image credits
- Mukurthi National Park:Rajeshdxb at English Wikipedia · Public domain