Lonavala Sahyadri Trails

Routes, drives & experiences here

• Open

  Bhushi Dam & INS Shivaji road

  Scenic drive

  sealed hill road

  The core scenic road out of Lonavala runs past Lonavala Lake and Bhushi Dam to the INS Shivaji naval-engineering campus — the Indrayani-river masonry dam sits about 6 km from Lonavala station and is drivable right up to. Public tar road, no permit; it is monsoon-mobbed and the stepped spillway gets slippery and crowded, so park where marked and mind the water. State-transport buses run the INS Shivaji road.

  Source: compiled from public information
• Open

  Tiger's Leap (Tiger Point) viewpoint drive

  Viewpoint drive

  sealed hill road to a cliff viewpoint

  A clifftop about 8 km from Lonavala with a sheer drop of over 600 m across the Western Ghats. The road continues past Lonavala Lake, Bhushi Dam and INS Shivaji to the point; some sources say you can drive to the viewpoint, others that the last stretch is a short walk from the INS Shivaji stop — expect to leave the vehicle and finish on foot at busy times. The edge is unfenced with a long drop, so keep well back, especially in fog and after rain. Free to visit; small parking charge on site.

  Source: compiled from public information
• Open

  Lion's Point drive (Amby Valley road)

  Viewpoint drive

  sealed hill road

  A vantage point roughly midway between Bhushi Dam and Aamby Valley, reached by driving the Aamby Valley City road — an equally scenic run and a popular sunset/monsoon stop. Public road, no permit; it gets very crowded on weekends and in the monsoon, and the cliff edges are unfenced. Note Aamby Valley itself is a private township, so drive the public road and viewpoint, not into the estate.

  Source: compiled from public information
• Open

  Rajmachi Point drive

  Viewpoint drive

  sealed road

  A roadside viewpoint on the Lonavala side looking across to the Rajmachi forts — drivable and served by regular state-transport buses from the Lonavala bus stand. (This is the tarmac viewpoint near town, not the rough Rajmachi-fort village track from Kondivade, which is a separate rugged jeep/monsoon route best done with local knowledge.) Public road, no permit.

  Source: compiled from public information
• Open

  Pawna Lake drive & lakeside camping

  Camp / overnight

  20 km mixed sealed + rough village roads

  A dam-lake about 20 km from Lonavala, ringed by campsites and a popular overnight for the sunrise over the water. Two common approaches — the Kamshet/Pavananagar route and the Dudhiware Khind route — reachable by private vehicle with parking at the campsites; the Lonavala–Dudhiware stretch is reported to be in poor condition, so a higher-clearance vehicle helps. Public roads, no permit for the drive; camping is on operator/village land, so book a pitch rather than wild-camping and carry out your rubbish.

  Source: compiled from public information

• RestrictedLohgad Fort trek— A steep ~1-hour stair climb (the 'iron fort', ~915 m) through four gateways — walking is the only way up. Free-to-enter and publicly accessible, but it is an ASI-protected monument (declared 1909) and part of the UNESCO Maratha Military Landscapes, so on-site signage and heritage-conservation rules apply. Given the UNESCO listing, confirm whether any group-trek permit or fee now applies before you go. Not a drive.
• Forest permitSudhagad (Bhorapgad) Fort trek— An older capital-fort about 26 km south of Lonavala, a 1–2 hour on-foot climb from Thakurwadi village. It sits inside the Sudhagad wildlife sanctuary (dense Sahyadri forest), so forest-department rules may apply and a local guide is worth it — confirm current access and any night-halt permission locally. Not a drive.

Open to all: Lonavala–Khandala roads & fort base drives · Visapur Fort trek · Bhaja & Bedse Buddhist caves — public access, no permit.

Not every access detail here is officially confirmed — some are compiled from public information. Always verify current permits and closures with the Forest Department / governing authority before you go.