Homestay · Nooji, Kalasa, Karnataka, 577124
Golden Hills
A family homestay at Nooji, outside Kalasa, on the Chikkamagaluru side of the Ghats. The usable base for the Netravathi peak trek, with rooms that sleep three and four.
Netravathi peak
A 1,520 m grassland summit inside Kudremukh national park, walked as a day trek. Around 13 km, five to six hours, capped at 300 permits a day, with a compulsory guide and jeep on top of the entry fee. One of the few Indian treks where the monsoon is the season rather than the closure.
- Days
- 1
- Distance
- 13 km
- Max altitude
- 1,520 m
- Total ascent
- 580 m
- Grade
- Moderate
- Season
- Jun–Feb
Elevation profile
Start 940 mPeak 1,520 mEnd 940 m
Netravathi peak, also spelt Netravati, is a 1,520 m grassland summit inside Kudremukh national park in Chikkamagaluru district, on the boundary with Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada. It is a day trek rather than an overnight one: roughly 13 km out and back, and most groups are off the hill in five to six hours including the stop at the top.
Getting to the start is its own arrangement. The track in is unmetalled and not passable in an ordinary car, so you hire a jeep at Kalasa and are driven to the trailhead; budget for it separately, because it is a real cost and not something included in the permit. The upside is that the drive does the low climbing for you, which is why the ascent is a modest 580 m for a peak of this height. From the drop-off the trail climbs through shola forest into open grassland, and the last stretch is a walk along the crest with the Ghats falling away on both sides.
Access is controlled. Permits are issued only through the Karnataka Forest Department's own portal, Aranya Vihaara, at aranyavihaara.karnataka.gov.in, there are no walk-up permits at the gate, and the daily limit is 300 trekkers. The portal takes bookings from 30 days ahead down to at least one day before, and weekend dates on a route this popular go early. Cancel eight or more days out and you get half back; inside seven days there is no refund.
You are verified before you go anywhere. The forest department's own condition is that the original of the identity document used in the booking is produced on the day, for every person on the permit, so carry the document rather than a photo of it, and report at the start point at least ten minutes before your slot. A guide is compulsory, not optional, and is charged at ₹1,000 per group rather than per head, with a group capped at ten people. Eleven of you means two guides and two fees. Entry is about ₹500 a head on top of that, and the jeep is separate again.
The season runs the opposite way round to most Indian treks. The trail is shut through the dry pre-monsoon months and reopens as the rain arrives, on 24 June in 2026, which makes the monsoon a season here rather than a closure. July and August are what people come for: grassland under low cloud, streams running hard, and the ridge appearing and disappearing as the weather moves across it. The price is leeches, slick rock, stream crossings and no guarantee of a view on any given day.
September and October keep the green with less of the rain. November to February is the settled window, dry grass, cool air and the long views down the escarpment. March to May is hot and the trail is generally closed. Permission can also be pulled at short notice on weather or fire risk, so confirm on Aranya Vihaara before booking travel.
Where to stay
Common questions
How long does the Netravathi peak trek take?
Around five to six hours round trip from the trailhead, covering roughly 13 km. It is a single day: start in the morning and you are back at the base the same afternoon. Most of that time is the climb, the descent runs closer to an hour and a half.
How high is Netravathi peak?
1,520 m, about 4,990 ft. The trailhead is already high, so the climb itself is only around 580 m, which is what makes this a moderate day rather than a hard one.
Do you need a permit for the Netravathi trek?
Yes, booked in advance at aranyavihaara.karnataka.gov.in, the Karnataka Forest Department's official Aranya Vihaara portal. The peak sits inside Kudremukh national park, nothing is issued at the gate, bookings open 30 days ahead and close a day before, and a guide is compulsory. Book on the government site directly rather than through a reseller.
What ID do you need at the Netravathi check post?
The original of the identity document you booked with, for every trekker on the permit. That is the forest department's stated condition, and it is checked before anyone is allowed up. Report at the start point at least ten minutes before your slot time.
How much does a guide cost on the Netravathi trek, and is one compulsory?
A guide is compulsory, and the fee is ₹1,000 per group rather than per person. A group may not exceed ten people, so a party of eleven or more needs a second guide and pays a second fee. That is on top of the roughly ₹500 a head entry.
Do you need a jeep for the Netravathi trek?
Yes. The track from Kalasa to the trailhead is unmetalled and an ordinary car will not make it, so a jeep is hired at Kalasa and is a separate cost from both the permit and the guide. It also explains the modest 580 m of climbing: the drive gains the lower height for you.
Is this where the Netravathi river starts?
No. The river rises at Gangamoola in the same Kudremukh range, which is a separate and restricted spot. The peak carries the name, it is not the source.
What is the best time for the Netravathi peak trek?
Roughly late June to February. Unusually, the monsoon is a season here rather than a closure: the trail reopens as the rain starts, on 24 June in 2026, and July and August are a well-known monsoon trek, misty grassland with the streams full, at the cost of leeches and slippery rock. September and October are green with less rain; November to February is dry, cool and clearest. March to May is hot and generally shut.