Scenic drive · Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
32 km plateau loop road
A relaxed sealed loop across the plateau linking Lady's Seat, Pagoda Point, the botanical garden and other viewpoints, winding through old coffee and citrus estates and pepper/cardamom gardens. Roads are paved but narrow and can be pot-holed or slick in patches after rain — drive gently and expect estate traffic.
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- Type
- Scenic drive
- Access
- Open
- Difficulty
- easy
- Terrain
- sealed plateau road
- Duration
- Half a day (about 3–5 hours) with viewpoint stops.
- Region
- Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
About this route
A loop road on the plateau (commonly cited as ~32 km) strings the main viewpoints together for a half-day drive through the coffee, orange and spice plantations that quilt the Shevaroys. Sealed plateau roads; some lanes narrow near the viewpoints.
What to expect
A relaxed sealed loop across the plateau linking Lady's Seat, Pagoda Point, the botanical garden and other viewpoints, winding through old coffee and citrus estates and pepper/cardamom gardens. Roads are paved but narrow and can be pot-holed or slick in patches after rain — drive gently and expect estate traffic.
Highlights
- Links most of the plateau's main viewpoints in one drive
- Coffee, orange, pepper and cardamom estate scenery
- Cool, quiet hill roads well suited to a slow half-day loop
Best time & conditions
Pleasant year-round; greenest and most fragrant just after the monsoon (September–November); clearest views October–February.
How to reach
Start from Yercaud town / the lake and follow the plateau loop signposted to Lady's Seat, Pagoda Point and the other viewpoints.
Access & permits
Access here is OpenNot officially confirmed
This is compiled from public information — always verify current permits and closures with the Forest Department or governing authority before you go.
Frequently asked questions
A relaxed sealed loop across the plateau linking Lady's Seat, Pagoda Point, the botanical garden and other viewpoints, winding through old coffee and citrus estates and pepper/cardamom gardens. Roads are paved but narrow and can be pot-holed or slick in patches after rain — drive gently and expect estate traffic.
More routes in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
Publicly sourcedSalem–Yercaud ghat road (20 hairpin bends)
The classic approach — the roughly 28–32 km climb from Salem up the Shevaroys with 20 hairpin bends (the historic Arthur Havelock ghat), whose bends are named after Tamil scholars, kings and freedom fighters. It is a fully sealed mountain road: climb and descend slowly, use engine braking on the way down, and sound the horn on blind curves. The surface can be slick and foggy during and just after the monsoon — a seasonal hazard, not a closure.
sealed ghat road
in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
Publicly sourcedLady's Seat & Pagoda Point viewpoints
Cliff-edge viewpoints reached on sealed plateau roads — Lady's Seat over the Salem plains and the ghat switchbacks (best at sunset), and Pagoda Point about 5 km from town with a small Rama temple. The drops are largely unfenced and the rock gets slippery near water, so keep well back from edges, especially after rain and with children.
sealed plateau road
in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
Publicly sourcedShevaroyan (Servarayan) Temple drive — Shevaroy peak
A drive across the plateau toward the Servarayan (Shevaroyan) temple near the highest point of the range (~1,628 m per Wikipedia) — an ancient cave shrine to the hills' presiding deity, about 5 km from the lake, with sweeping views on the way up. Reached on public plateau roads then a short walk; it is an active place of worship, so dress respectfully and follow on-site rules. The lane narrows near the top — drive it slowly.
sealed plateau road + short walk
in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)