- Grade
- Easy
- Distance
- 3 km there and back
- Walking time
- 2 hours
- Altitude
- Varies
- Best months
- Oct – May
- Start point
- Longwood Shola Rest House
- District
- Nilgiris
- Nearest station
- Mettupalayam, ~32 km
- Nearest airport
- Coimbatore, ~68 km
About this trail
Longwood Shola is a small, closely guarded patch of wet mountain forest on the edge of Kotagiri. Inside, the air is cool and damp, the trunks are wrapped in moss, and marshes and streams thread between the trees. The forest has been declared a Ramsar wetland, and birders rank it among the key bird sites of the Nilgiris. The trail runs about 1.5 km in and returns on the same line.
The 3 km walk takes around two hours and is gentle enough for every age. Your guide will explain how the shola holds water, which plants grow only here and which birds to listen for. Keep voices low and stay on the marked path so the forest stays undisturbed.
Highlights
- Protected shola forest near Kotagiri
- Important Bird Area and Ramsar wetland
- Marshes, streams and mossy trees
- Easy walk for all ages
- Guide explains the ecosystem
How the day goes
- ReportingCheck in at the rest house before your time slot.
- EntryComplete permits and meet the guide.
- Forest walkWalk into the shola past marshes and streams.
- Observation pointStop to watch birds and learn about the forest.
- ReturnWalk back to the rest house.
Getting there and staying over
- By train: Mettupalayam, ~32 km
- By air: Coimbatore, ~68 km
- Stay: Day walk; hotels in Kotagiri.
What to carry
- Warm jacket
- Water bottle
- Walking shoes
- Binoculars
- Rain cover
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 →
Easy8 km · 4 hrsNilgiris · Mukurthi National ParkGenepool Trail, MukurthiAn 8 km loop through the grasslands and shola of Mukurthi National Park, dipping into the Genepool valley before returning to base.
Best: Oct – MayView 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 →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.
