Injikadavu

About this trail#

Injikadavu is a forest trail in the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, climbing from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department's Kalikesam Eco Camp through dry deciduous and moist evergreen forest to a grassland plateau at 920 metres on the Western Ghats escarpment. The trail begins at Kalikesam Eco Camp on the eastern fringe of the sanctuary. The lower section runs through dry deciduous forest where mango trees are prominent. As the trail gains elevation and moves onto west-facing slopes, the canopy closes into moist evergreen forest with several stream crossings. Leeches are active from June through November, concentrated near these crossings. The upper section breaks out of the treeline onto open grassland before reaching the summit ridge. Guided treks from the camp include guides from the Kani tribal community who have lived within the sanctuary and know its signs closely. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department regulates all access through the camp; independent entry into the sanctuary is not permitted.

Getting there#

Route flyby#

Preview the terrain before you go — a 3D fly-through of the full route.

GPX file#

Download the GPX route to use with your GPS device or hiking app. Learn how to use GPX files. To protect our trail data from bulk harvesting, downloads are limited to one per account per week.

Wildlife & Nature#

Elephant dung and pugmarks are reported regularly on the middle sections of the trail, where the evergreen canopy is thickest. Wild boar are frequently sighted, particularly in the dry deciduous lower sections. Nilgiri langur (locally called "black monkey") are seen throughout the forested sections. The sanctuary holds a range of forest birds; guides at Kalikesam carry species identification materials and are familiar with sightings along the route.