The mountain ranges and forest trails in Karnataka attract a lot of adventure-seekers and trekkers. Many youngsters from Bangalore choose these locations for weekend trips.
Recently, Karnataka Eco Tourism Development Board established a few trekking paths and mountain tracks called 'Eco Trails' catering to the increasing demand and also to prevent unauthorized trekking which results in accidents. These trips are now undertaken under the supervision of qualified guides.
Among the 'Eco Trails,' the most sought-after is the Skandagiri ranges in the district of Chikkaballapur. Official counts show that it was visited by 27,017 tourists in the past three years. Skandagiri is distantly followed by the Makalidurga trail in Doddballapur Taluka with a count of 9705 visitors.
Savandurga in the Ramnagara district, Bidarakatta and Devarayanadurga in Tumkur, Avalabetta, Rani Jhari, Ettina Bhuja and Ballalarayanadurga in Chikmagalur, Siddarabetta in Hassan district etc are other popular destinations of the Eco Trail.
In these Eco Trail destinations, only 40 trekkers are allowed per day. The ticket charges are Rs 250 per head. The trekking is allowed between 6 am and 12 noon. Online booking facilities are available through www.myecotrip.com
