State - April 17, 2025

Treks In Tamil Nadu Resume After Fire Season

team maverick April 17, 2025

0 4 min read

The Forest Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, has resumed its flagship initiative, ‘Trek Tamil Nadu’, after the annual suspension of trekking activities during the forest fire season. This pioneering programme was launched by the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin on October 24, 2024, with the aim of promoting nature appreciation and responsible ecotourism across the state.

In Phase I of the initiative, the Forest Department introduced 40 curated trekking routes that traverse Tamil Nadu’s most scenic forest and wildlife landscapes. To facilitate easy access and registration, the official website — www.trektamilnadu.com — was also launched.

The programme not only promotes responsible and sustainable trekking but also encourages local participation by creating employment opportunities. Over 200 individuals from tribal and forest fringe communities have been trained and engaged as certified trekking guides. All trekking trails have been carefully selected with a strong emphasis on participant safety (including mandatory insurance) and ecological sensitivity.

During the first trekking season from November 1, 2024, to February 14, 2025, the initiative generated a revenue of Rs. 63.43 lakh, out of which Rs. 56.71 lakh was disbursed as wages to the local guides. A total of 4,792 participants completed treks during this period, making ‘Trek Tamil Nadu’ a model for nature-based tourism in India.

Resumption After Fire Season

As per the Tamil Nadu Forest and Wildlife Areas (Regulation of Trekking) Rules, 2018, all trekking activities are suspended annually from February 15 to April 15 to mitigate forest fire risks. With the fire season concluding, trekking has now resumed from April 16, 2025. Currently, 23 out of the 40 routes have been reopened. These include trails of easy to moderate difficulty, making them accessible to a wide range of age groups and fitness levels.

Open Trek Routes by District:

S. No	District	Trek Route	Category
1	The Nilgiris	Longwood Shola	Easy
2		Karikaiyur–Porivarai Rock Painting	Moderate
3		Karikaiyur–Rangasamy Peak	Moderate
4		Parsons Valley – Mukurthi Hut	Tough
5		Avalanche (Cauliflower Shola) – Kolaribetta	Moderate
6		Avalanche – Devarbetta	Tough
7		Gene Pool	Easy
8		Rockwood Trail	Moderate
9	Coimbatore	Manambolly	Moderate
10	Tiruppur	Chinnar Checkpost – Kottar	Easy
11	Kanniyakumari	Kalikesam – Balamore	Moderate
12		Kalikesam – Maramalai	Moderate
13		Injikadavu	Moderate
14	Tirunelveli	Karaiyar – Moolakasam	Easy
15	Tenkasi	Theerthaparai	Easy
16	Theni	Kurangani – Sambalaru	Easy
17	Dindigul	Kodaikanal – Vellagavi	Moderate
18	Krishnagiri	Guthirayan Peak	Tough
19		Biligundulu – Rasimanal	Moderate
20	Salem	Nagalur – Sanniyasimalai Peak	Easy
21	Tirupattur	Yelagiri – Swamimalai	Easy
22		Jalagamparai	Moderate
23	Tiruvallur	Gudiyam Caves Heritage Trail	Easy

The remaining routes will be reopened after comprehensive on-ground assessments of the forest fire situation.

With new features such as affordable pricing, inclusion of local/traditional cuisine, agent login portals for bookings, and digital e-certificates for trekkers, the programme continues to innovate. The relaunch also places strong emphasis on reducing plastic usage and minimising the carbon footprint, aiming to create a sustainable and enriching trekking experience for all.

Issued by: Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Secretariat, Chennai – 9