Forests in Maharashtra

hermit

Please let me know if anyone knows of good forests in the vicinity of Mumbai. I've heard of some fantastic forests in South Maharastra where its possible to go on jungle walks. Dont mind an overnight trip from Mumbai. Also does anyone know how to get to Jog Falls from Mumbai by train?

shahronakm

Check out this thread for Jog Falls
Train From Mumbai to Jog Falls

Have you been to Sanjay Gandhi National Park ? Other posters will have better options.

Ronak.

Sadanand Kamath

I had done jungle walks in Sanjay Gandhi National Park about 15 years back covering (i) Tulsi Lake and further to a road leading to Vihar Lake (about 16 kms to and fro) and (ii) Kanheri caves top to Vartak Nagar (Thane) via Yahoor hills (about 18 kms walk from Park gate on Borivali side). I understand that walks towards Tulsi Lake side are prohibited.

Sadanand

__________________
Sirf ek kadam utha tha galat rahe shauk mein
Manzil tamam umr hame dhunti rahi.

[Just one wrong step on the way of the quest
My destination looked for me all life long]

Oyar

mahabaleshwar still has a lot of forest area. panthers / leopard (not sure which)... are still seen there ocassionally.

bhimashankar too has a lot of forest area

Ashishrjoshi

In Addition to Mahabaleshwar, Bhimashankar, Matheran.. Bhandardara & Sputara areas have good forest cover.

In south Konkan, u can go to Chandoli N.P. Get down at Sangameshwar on the Konkan railway & trek.

There is no direct train to Jog falls from Mumbai. Best option is to get down at Bhatkal Jn on Konkan railway in north Karnataka & take a cab to Jog falls.

AvidTrekker

Very thick jungle between Atgaon and Kudus. The Tansa Sanctuary.

Further up same jungle (without officially named Sanctuary) between Igatpuri and Wada. The stretch between Wada and Suryamaal is very dense. Same area, jungles of Jawhar extending all the way upto Saputara in South Gujarat.

You can spend a whole month and not come back if you wish !!

__________________
The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

snonymous

I visit these areas several times a year, most often during the monsoons when everything is lush and green. The Wada Suryamal stretch is beautiful dense forest from about Parali onwards, it is actually the flip side of the Tansa WLS. Near Parali on the right side when coming from Wada you will see an old sign board saying Vaitarna - or ask any villager there. From here you can drive partly and then walk the rest of the way through dense forest until you reach a place that overlooks the Vaitarna [Modak Sagar] dam and catchment area.

Further along the Parali Suryamal road, you can walk into the forest from many points, it is most rewarding especially just after the monsoons when the wildflowers are in full bloom and millions of butterflies hold sway. About halfway up there is a machan just off the road on the left, from where you get a good view of the valley below.

The road from Suryamal goes on to Khodala ,mostly deforested and thereafter if you take the road going to NH3 via Vihigaon you will pass the pristine densely forested region that is shortly going under the axe for the Middle Vaitarna dam project. Approx. 5 km before Vihigaon are magnigicent gorges, in the dry season you can walk all along the embankment and enjoy the spectacular potholes formed painstakingly over centuries. Just before Vihigaon is an approx 75m waterfall, quite spectacular in the monsoons. No one ever comes here so the place is pristine and full of rare flora as there is not that much grazing activity to destroy it. Also look out for epiphytic orchids which are aplenty on the entire stretch. But go soon before the Middle Vaitarna works commence and this paradise is destroyed forever. Easier access is via NH3 to Jawhar phata just after Kasara and before Igatpuri. Left turn at J. phata keep going and enjoy while it lasts. Ive also been to Jawhar many times, it is mostly deforested now but still good during and just after the rains. The easiest way is just after Wada take the left turn at Malavada which goes all the way up to join the Charoti Jawhar road about 6 km away from Jawhar town. Cut through the forest on the CJ road to enjoy the Dhamani dam catchment area and also enjoy the Kavdas lake closer to Charoti. On the Jawhar Silvassa road visit Dhabose village to enjoy the spectacular waterfalls straight out of Blue Lagoon - good during and shortly after the rains. Also just outside Jawhar on the Silvassa road is a pristine small lotus filled lake, very peaceful.
Closer home, the SGNP is most rewarding for walks in dense jungle. The Tulsi Vihar lake area is out of bounds unless you get permission from the DCF office within the park - not impossible. You can otherwise, go on the Silondha [nr old Mafco] or Yeoor [just before Tulsi junction on Kanheri rd] trails - you will never come back disappointed.
Karnala is also good but I would rate SGNP better.
The forested area near Mahuli on the other side of Tansa WLS is also good.

goodfriend

does anyone have contact details of blue monron resort in bhimashankar

thanks

goodfriend

snonymous

Please see your other post at:
Best places to visit near mumbai

sau

could you please tell me how to get to the path you are talking about at the middle vaitarna project from kasara railway station...i'd like to go there sometime in august or end-july....is it walkable from the station?

snonymous

Bad news first: About 2 weeks ago I read in the ToI that all the trees in the project area have already been chopped. The DCF proudly boasted that they've been chopping since February and the timber so recovered, will boost the Forest dept funds!

Im not sure if this particular tract near Vihigaon has also been affected, as no specific details about the exact area referred to, are available on the net. But for sure the huge waterfall at Vihigaon village will still be there.

Route directions: From Kasara station either take a bus / jeep taxi going towards Khodala or Jawhar. Easier: Take a rickshaw to Vihigaon village . From NH3, shortly after Kasara there is a broad left turn called Jawhar phata. There used to be a signboard clearly stating Jawhar, Trimbakeshwar - may not be there with the ongoing 4 laning roadworks. Anyway, take this left turn and you will reach Vihigaon after about 3 to 4km. You cant miss the waterfall there. Keep going on the same road and you will see the deep densely forested [???], pristine valley and gorge on the left. If you do go there, please post about the current status of the forest. The road goes on to Khodala from where you can proceed to Jawhar, Trimbakeshwar or to Suryamal, Wada, Bhiwandi etc.


Whether it is walkable from the station? There may well be a walkable short cut over the hills - if you look at the topography, it would certainly seem so. You would have to ask a local at Kasara about this. Perhaps Avid Trekker or some of our other members may know for sure.

Please do post, if you go there. Thanks.

sau

you'd hope there would be endless bureaucratic delays in the cutting dept....i really hope some of the area is still pristine....will try to make it by august...thanks for the info and i'll post if i visit

snonymous

Where there is good scope for making money, there is no delay! I was also shocked to learn that they had moved so fast. I expected the chopping to commence after the current monsoons. During the monsoons, there are several unique wildflowers in this area which are not so commonly seen elsewhere. These will still be there this season at least, unless they get grazed out - also a possibility.

AvidTrekker

Its a 2 hour walk for local adivasis.

Four to six hours for us. Depends on speed and "getting lost"

Happy trekking :
.
.