
Karnala Fort Trek and Karnala Bird Sanctuary
₹ 1,050
Karnala fort, also known as Funnel Hill, situated in the Panvel taluka of Raigad district, this protected fort lies within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is small with an area of 12.11 square kilometres, centred around the historic Karnala Fort and it lies just off the Mumbai-Goa highway. This place is approx. 50kms from Mumbai and around 10kms from Panvel city. After taking necessary permission, your actual trek starts from the Karnala Bird Sanctuary gate. The forest department opens the gate for visitors at 7 am until 6pm. This fort was built by the Devgiri Yadav dynasty in 1400 and was later used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as an observatory for trade between Kalyan and Alibaug sea routes.
The beauty of the fort and the surrounding is magnificent and you can absorb the breath-taking views and the zig-zag, narrow and uphill path that takes you to the top of the fort. From the entrance to Karnala fort is about 2.5km in distance through the forest. On the way, you cross the bird sanctuary. It is peaceful to walk along the narrow path and you come across some birds on the way up. The view from the top is beautiful and filled with greenery. The view offers Raigad district on one side and Lonavala, Khandala range on the other. In the centre of the fort is a 125ft tall basalt pillar also called Pandu’s tower. This structure was used as a watchtower when the fort was occupied. At the bottom of the fort is a small temple called Karnai Devi.
Whether you are a professional trekker or just a beginner, this is the one trek you should definitely try. It's an easy to moderate level trek, an ideal getaway during weekdays and weekends.
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