Ravichandra (రవిచంద్ర) (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia CommonsAt 1,925 m (6,316 ft), Mullayanagiri is Karnataka's highest peak and the 23rd-highest in the entire Western Ghats range, rising from the Chandra Drona hill ranges. Unlike most of the district's other big-name treks, it needs no forest permit and no guide — a road gets you to Sarpadhari, and a stone-stepped path of around 467 steps gets you the rest of the way, most people finishing in under three hours round trip. The summit itself carries a small temple — Shri Guru Gadrige Mullappa Swami Mutta — said to be dedicated to a sage named Mullappa Swamy who is believed to have meditated in caves just below the peak, which is where the mountain gets its name, alongside a police radio relay station.
The same ridge road continues on to Baba Budangiri, so the two are commonly done together as one morning's outing — Mullayanagiri for the climb and the view, Baba Budangiri for the pilgrimage site a little further along.
In bloom years, the hillsides below the peak carpet themselves in a purple wildflower locally likened to the famous Neelakurinji of the higher Western Ghats — not something to plan a single trip around, but a striking sight if the timing lines up.
Elevation
1,925 m / 6,316 ft (highest in Karnataka)
Trailhead
Sarpadhari, ~15 km from Chikmagalur town
Distance
3–4 km round trip
Duration
1.5–2.5 hours
Per-vehicle entry, not per person.
Per-vehicle entry, not per person.
No permit required
Open 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Around 1,200 vehicles are allowed up per day — after around 9:00 AM on busy days, vehicles may be turned back or parked further away and the walk to the trailhead itself gets longer, so an early start is worth it.
Required documents
No. Unlike Kudremukh, Nethravati or Ettina Bhuja, Mullayanagiri needs no Forest Department permit and no guide — just a vehicle to Sarpadhari and the stone-step climb from there.
Most people finish the round trip in 1.5–2.5 hours from Sarpadhari, making it comfortably a half-morning outing rather than a full day.
Yes — the same ridge road continues to Baba Budangiri, roughly 10 km further, and the two are commonly visited together in one morning.
Yes, it’s the easiest of the district’s named peaks — short distance, no permit, and a well-defined stepped path, though the steps near the top are still a real climb.
Coffee estate country, Chikmagalur, Chikmagalur
Wake up inside a working coffee estate in the Western Ghats
A family-run homestay inside a working coffee estate — home-cooked Malnad meals, a bonfire most evenings, and plantation blocks that start where the lawn ends.
2 guests1 bedrooms1 bathsHomestay
₹2,000 / night
Basing yourself near town for an easy morning summit? Good Earth Homestay is a short drive from the Sarpadhari trailhead.
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A 14 km round trip through shola forest and open grassland inside Kudremukh National Park, ending on a ridge with views across the Western Ghats.
September to May — trails turn slippery and leech-heavy during the June–August monsoon
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An 18 km round trip through shola forest to a medieval hilltop fort and a waterfall in the Charmadi Ghats.
Monsoon and post-monsoon, July to December, when the falls are at their fullest
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An 18 km round trip to Karnataka’s second-highest peak, through Shola forest and rolling grassland from the hamlet of Mullodi.
September to May — the Forest Department restricts access during the heaviest monsoon months
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