- Grade
- Easy
- Distance
- 8 km loop
- Walking time
- 4 hours
- Altitude
- 2250 m
- Best months
- Oct – May
- Start point
- Mukurthi National Park Reception Point
- District
- Nilgiris
- Nearest station
- Ooty, ~30 km
- Nearest airport
- Coimbatore, ~115 km
About this trail
The Genepool trail lies inside Mukurthi National Park, a protected high plateau that forms part of the wider Nilgiri biosphere. The path leaves the reception point across rolling grassland, drops into shola forest and reaches the Genepool valley, where native plants have been set aside for conservation. Mist often hangs in the hollows, and the open meadows are good for spotting birds.
This is an easy walk of about four hours, but the altitude of around 2,250 metres means cold mornings, so dress in layers you can remove as the sun climbs. Reporting is at 6:45 AM, and a packed breakfast or light refreshments are provided. It is a calm, unhurried walk that suits families, photographers and anyone keen on plants and birds.
Highlights
- High meadows inside Mukurthi National Park
- Genepool conservation valley
- Shola forest and misty hollows
- Loop route back to the start
- Packed breakfast provided
How the day goes
- 6:45 AMReport at the Mukurthi reception point and register.
- GrasslandsWalk out across the open meadows with the guide.
- Shola forestEnter the shola belt and descend towards the valley.
- Genepool valleyStop to learn about the conserved plants and have breakfast.
- Loop backClimb back through the grassland to the reception point.
Getting there and staying over
- By train: Ooty, ~30 km
- By air: Coimbatore, ~115 km
- Stay: Ooty has hotels and homestays for every budget.
What to carry
- Photo ID
- Warm jacket and cap
- Rain jacket
- Walking shoes
- Water bottle
- Binoculars
Good to know
These are guided trails run with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, and each has a daily limit on walkers. Book a few days ahead, carry the same photo ID you booked with, and expect a trail to close at short notice after heavy rain or when elephants are active nearby. We book the permit, arrange the car to and from the start point and, if you want, a hotel nearby for the night before.
More trails in Nilgiris
Tough13 km · 6 hrsNilgiris · AvalancheAvalanche – Devarbetta (via Cauliflower Shola)A hard one-way day in the upper Nilgiris, crossing Cauliflower Shola and open grass ridges on the way to the high ground at Devarbetta.
Best: Oct – MarView trail →
Moderate11 km · 6 hrsNilgiris · AvalancheAvalanche – Kolaribetta (via Cauliflower Shola)An 11 km out-and-back from Avalanche through Cauliflower Shola and wattle groves to Kolaribetta, looking over Mukurthi and Upper Bhavani.
Best: Oct – MarView trail →
Easy4 km · 2 hrsNilgiris · BaraliyarBaraliyar Forest TrailA short, easy stream-side walk off the Mettupalayam–Coonoor ghat road, good for families and anyone trying a forest trail for the first time.
Best: Oct – MayView trail →
Easy3 km · 2 hrsNilgiris · OotyCairn Hill Forest WalkA calm 3 km forest walk just outside Ooty, under tall cypress and mossy shola trees, ending at a watchtower with views over the woods.
Best: Oct – JunView trail →
Moderate6 km · 3 hrsNilgiris · KotagiriKarikaiyur – Porivarai Rock PaintingsA short forest walk from Karikaiyur to Porivarai, one of South India's largest rock-art sites, with hundreds of ancient paintings.
Best: Sep – MarView trail →
Moderate8 km · 4 hrsNilgiris · KotagiriKarikaiyur – Rangasamy PeakA half-day climb from Karikaiyur through shola and grassland to the Rangasamy Peak viewpoint, about 20 km from Kotagiri.
Best: Oct – MarView trail →Book this trek
Send us your date and group size. We will confirm the slot with the forest team and share the reporting time, car and total cost.
