Yelagiri Hills – Hill Station with Amazing Loop Vistas

About Yelagiri Hills

Yelagiri is a hill station in the Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu. It is a branch of the Annamalai hills and is located 1110 m above sea level. Magnificent valleys, orchards, and rose gardens surround it. The highest point in the Yelagiri hills is the Swamimalai hill, which stands at 4338 feet and is a small hiking spot for trekkers. Yelagiri is an excellent location for relaxation and adventure activities in the natural setting. However, when compared to Yercaud or the well-known hill stations of Ooty or Kodaikanal, this hill station lacks viewpoints and other attractions to visit, although it has been tackled with a number of these activities in the vicinity.

Top Attractions in Yelagiri hills

There are numerous parks and play areas near the Yelagiri station. Nature parks, children’s parks, and bird parks are among them.

Loop Road

The Yelagiri hills loop road has 14 loops. The roads are wide enough for two-way traffic. They are, however, insufficient to park your four-wheelers in between to enjoy the scenery along the way. Only a few viewpoints facilitate three or four vehicles to be parked in order to enjoy the scenery. The path is very relaxing as it winds through the Nilgiri trees. The complete shade of trees on either side will keep you cool even in the middle of the day. The journey from the bottom of the loop to the top will take nearly 30 minutes. There are a lot of monkeys along the way, so be cautious if you have anything with you.

Punganoor Lake

Punganoor lake is a man-made lake in the heart of the Yelagiri hills. It is a well-known lake in Yelagiri as well as Tamil Nadu. Moreover, the lake offers boating prospects. This lake is located within a park that includes a children’s park, lounge seats, a small viewpoint, a few shops, and a walking path that loops the lake. It is open from 7 am to 7 pm and charges 10 rupees per person to enter. Boating fees are extra and can be purchased inside the park or near the entrance. Besides, after purchasing the tickets, there will be a long queue for boating.

The children’s park includes a courtyard with slides, swings, and a see-saw. Parks are great places to relax and enjoy the scenery among the plants and trees. If you stay inside any of the parks, you will not feel the heat. Throughout the park, there are numerous benches where you can sit back and enjoy a picnic.

Nature Park

The Nature Park is open from 9 am to 7 pm with an entrance fee of 15 rupees for adults. There is a 25 rupee entry fee for the evening fountain show, and a minimum of 35 members must attend. If you plan on spending time in the area, go to the Nature park in the evenings when the fountains are on display. Alternatively, during the day, you can enjoy the park’s view and light breeze.

There are many large trees along the park’s walking path, which is very comforting. Also, there is a beautiful flower park where you can take pictures and enjoy the view. There are 2-3 nearby children’s parks, but some of the swing sets are in disrepair, so take precautions when allowing children to play. In the park’s center, there is also a bamboo platform structure. This is actually a man-made waterfall, but without any flow of water, it appears to be a movie scene set, with a leader sitting on the top platform in the middle of the forest. Aside from that, there is a run-down aquarium within the park. The first row contains only a few fish, and the following rows are empty. There are also two pairs of love birds at the entrance, which are lovely to watch.

Swami Malai Trek

Swami Malai trek is the best thing to do in Yelagiri if you enjoy trekking in nature. It is located in Mangalam which is 5km from Yelagiri. The trek path to the base winds through the village houses and is a short 3 km trek to the top point. You can go higher up for the trek through the fields. There is no specific parking near the trekking point, but there is a huge area where you can park your vehicle. There is no entry fee to the trek, and there is no crowd as well.

Adventure activities at Yelagiri Hills

If you are interested in adventure games, Yelagiri is one of the best places to visit. Particularly, it has activities for people of all ages. Trekking, camping, paragliding, biking, zip lining, target shooting, archery, bungee jumping, and other outdoor activities are available at Yelagiri Hills. Additionally, kids bungee trampoline, adventure park, boating, cricket, and other activities are available for children. Furthermore, Yelagiri has a number of these adventure parks nearby, so you can choose any of them to play at.

How To Reach Yelagiri Hills

From Bangalore

Yelagiri Hills is located around 160 km from Bangalore.

By Road

Bike/Car:

• The best route to Yelagiri hills is via Hosur, Krishnagiri, and Yelagiri, which takes about 3 hours.
• Traveling to Yelagiri Hills on a motorbike is the best option, especially for the 14 hairpin bends. You can stop by to take in the scenery. Four wheelers are another good option for getting to the hills, but you can’t stop in between to enjoy the scenery.

Bus:

• Buses run from Bangalore, Chennai, and other major cities to Jolarpettai, Vellore, and Tirupattur. Then, from these cities, you can take government buses to Yelagiri Hills.

By Rail

• The nearest railway station is Jolarpettai junction, 21 km from Yelagiri. You can take a taxi or a bus from the station to the Yelagiri hills.

By Air

• Tirupattur district in Tamil Nadu has no airports.The nearest airport to Yelagiri is Bangalore International Airport, which is about 160 km away. The next closest international airport to Yelagiri is Chennai, which is about 232 km away. You can either take a taxi or a bus from there.

Travel Tips

• Yelagiri hills is an ideal destination for a one-day picnic with family and friends.
• You can take an auto or cab to get around the hill area, but be aware that they charge hefty prices. It is preferable to have your own vehicle to get around. Also, if you spend your time near parks, adventure areas, or lakes, you can walk to all of these locations because they are close by.
• There are restroom facilities available in each of the parks which are well-maintained.
• Numerous resorts are available at Yelagiri for a relaxing stay.
• There aren’t many pure vegetarian hotels in the area for vegetarians. We only saw two places where pure vegetarian and Jain foods were available.
• If you intend to buy fruits, there are several vendors selling them near the boating area. We thought the rate was a little higher than the actual price, but some of the rare fruits are available here as well. In addition, jackfruits are abundant and reasonably priced during the season here. We bought one, and it tasted good as well. If you like jackfruits, you can definitely buy them.

There are certain locations where the destination is more enjoyable than the route we take. However, when it comes to the Yelagiri Hills, I believe the journey is more lovely than the destination. Please let me know what you think of the Yelagiri hills. As a whole, a great hill station close to Bangalore to visit for the weekend and it is even more delightful if you travel with a large group of family or friends.