Top 7 Hill Stations around Bangalore

When one thinks of short weekend getaways close to Bangalore, the beautiful trekking trails around Bangalore are the first ones to strike. If you move further, you can explore several beautiful rolling hill resorts on different directions of Bangalore City. Though there are several majestic summer getaways, here are the 10 best hill stations around Bangalore within 300 km order by their proximity to the city.

Horsley Hills

Horsley Hills is a famous Hill Station in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Situated at an altitude of 1265 meters, Horsley Hills is an exciting place to visit. The old name of Horsley Hills was Yenugu Mallamma Konda. According to the legend there used to be a little girl named Mallamma who was taken care by Elephants. Later the place is named after W.D. Horsley, the Collector of Cuddapah district. He visited this place and was impressed by the beauty of the hills and chose this spot for his summer residence. It is one of the ideal weekend getaways from Bangalore.

Yelagiri Hills

Yelagiri is a hill region in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, located in between the towns of Vaniyambadi and Jolarpettai. This is the best hill station close to Bangalore & Chennai. Yelagiri is a cluster of 14 hamlets lie between four mountains spread over an area of 30 sq km having an altitude of 3500 ft. The main town of Yelagiri Hills is Athanavur, which comprises a winding road through the hills with isolated villages. The Whole of Yelagiri was once the private property of the Yelagiri Zamindar Family.

Yercaud

Yercaud is a beautiful hill station in Salem district of Tamil Nadu. It is located in the Shevaroy range of hills in the Eastern Ghats at an altitude of 1515 m (4920 ft). Yercaud town got its name from the Yercaud Lake located at its center. In Tamil, Yeri means lake and Kaadu means forest. Sir Thomas Munroe, erstwhile governor of Madras Presidency in 1842 developed this place. The Tea plantation has been introduced in 1840s by Dr.Wallich on the property of G.F.Fischer.

Chikmagalur

Chikkamagaluru (also known as Chikmagalur) lies at an altitude of 3,400 feet at the foothills of Mulliyangiri range in the south-western part of Karnataka. The Western Ghats start from this area. The Yagachi River is originated from the surrounding hills. Chikmagalur is famous for its serene environment, lush green forests and tall mountains. Chikmagalur literally means The Land of the Younger Daughter. Chikmagalur is one of the popular summer destinations in Karnataka and also one of the best tourist places in Karnataka.

Kemmanagundi

At an altitude of 1434 m, Kemmangundi is a beautiful and picturesque hill station, situated on the Baba Budan range. Kemmangundi is also popularly known by the name of KR Hills, named after the Mysore King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. Mesmerized by the beauty of the place, he made Kemmangundi as his summer retreat. He later donated this resort to the Government of Karnataka. The Horticultural Department of Karnataka now develops and maintains the resort and its surroundings. The department grows a lot of ornamental plants here. Now, Kemmangundi can be ranked one among the major places in Karnataka Tourism.

Coorg (Madikeri)

Coorg or Kodagu is a district in Karnataka and Madikeri is the district headquarters. At an altitude of 1525 meters on Western Ghats, it is also known as the Scotland of India. Coorg is the most famous hill station in Karnataka and one of the best hill resorts in South India. Coorg was under the Gangas rule during 9th and 10th centuries and Cholas in the 11th century followed by Hoysalas. Later Coorg was relatively independent under Haleri Rajas until British occupied the region in 1834. Coorg was a separate state before its merger with Karnataka in the year 1956.

Ooty

Ooty is one of the most popular hill stations in India. Also known as Udhagamandalam, Ooty is often referred to as ‘Queen of hill stations’. situated at an altitude of 7,440 feet (2,240 meters), it is the capital of Nilgiris district in the state of Tamilnadu. Ooty served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and other small kingdoms, much visited by British during the colonial days. Its stunning beauty and splendid green deep valleys inspired the British to name it Queen of Hill Stations.

Source: http://www.trawell.in/blog/