Trek to Mullayanagiri, Highest Peak in Karnataka

Mullayanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka, situated in the lush green district of Chikmagalur. As you approach Chikmagalur district, you can start seeing the Nilgiri range of mountains. Mullayanagiri stands tall amidst all the mountains as a jewel.

During our stay in Chikmagalur, we stayed  at Nesting Grounds Homestay. The homestay owner was kind enough to help us by arranging a cab for Sight seeing. A trip to Chikmagalur is considered to be incomplete if you don’t visit Mullayanagiri peak. Hence, we made an itinerary which would help us in visiting this highest point in Karnataka.

On the 2nd day of our trip, we went sightseeing. We first visited a waterfall and then proceeded for Mullayanagiri. Being the highest peak in Karnataka, we expected a long trek awaiting us. Hence, we had planned to save enough daylight for us. We reached the Mullayanagiri base by around 3 pm. After that, it was an 8 km pleasant drive through the whistling woods, overlooking the Chikmagalur town. As we traversed through the mountain curves, the sight of Chikmagalur town increased in grandeur.  We were getting more and more excited to reach Mullayanagiri peak.

We had booked a cab and were fully prepared to be told by the driver to get off the car start the trek. But, to our pleasant surprise, the car kept on discovering roads which led to the top. At one point of time, we saw a lot of cars parked and started rolling up our sleeves to start the trek. But, we realized that we were still 3 KMs away from Mullayanagiri peak. The parking lot that we saw was Seethalayanagiri. A useful tip here. Most of the drivers halt here at Seethalayanagiri. They would say that the road ahead is dreadful. He may be right, but with careful precision, he can drive 3 more kms to reach Mullayanagiri peak. However, If you feel like trekking an extra 2 KMs to reach Mullayanagiri peak, you can ask your driver to wait at Seethalayanagiri and enjoy your trek further.

Our driver was quite a sport and he continued to drive further up. The road from Seethalayanagiri to Mullayanagiri should not be attempted unless and until you are a ‘pro’. However, if you have a bike, you can conveniently ride it to the top of the peak.

We reached where all the roads ended and saw a parking spot, overlooking a valley. We now had to climb some 500 steps to reach the topmost viewpoint from the peak.

The view kept getting better and better as we climbed the steps. Finally, we reached the top and the view was now truly breathtaking. The vast landscapes spread to infinity in front of us. All that we did was to take a deep breath and admire nature’s elegance. There was a small temple at the top. We visited the temple and post that started our descent.

The trek to Mullayanagiri is not at all arduous. But, if you are looking for a strenuous trek, you can trek from Mullayanagiri to Bababudangiri peak. However, the view from Mullayanagiri is slightly better than Bababudangiri .

Mullayanagiri makes a perfect picnic spot due to the magnificent view. I would surely recommend this attraction if you are planning a weekend in Chikmagalur.

If you are planning to visit Chikmagalur soon, you can have a look at my recommendations for places to visit in Chikmagalur