Monsoon has always been that time of the year which brings about a unique rejuvenating feeling in our soul. The earthly smell of freshly dampened soil is how it gets started and in a matter of time, green foliage begins to emerge everywhere.

This is the time when the ruthless heat of summer gets belittled and an awe-inspiring commotion begins in the natural world. No matter we had spent days’ worth of vacation time in the summer, every other weekend inspires us to take on a trek, in the beautiful, invigorated wilderness.

In the state of Maharashtra, there is simply no lack of gorgeous spots and places for you to visit and enjoy the monsoon magic in its full gravitas. The state has a variety of options such as dark forests to stunning grassland to soak up in the rain with your loved ones beside you.

Here are some of the famous monsoon treks popular among many and certainly guaranteed to cultivate joy in your body.

Bhimashankar

This is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites as it shelters one of the ‘Twelve Jyotirlingas’ in the Bhimashankar temple. What this place also has, is a beautiful landscape perfect for monsoon trekking. Most approachable from Karjat you can always take a bus or a train to get here. From there you travel to the Khandas village which serves as a base for your trek.

Now in front of you is a 3250 feet climb which for many take about 4 hours. You can go for an easy route through the Ganesh ghat, or if you don’t want to go easy on yourself, pick the route through the Shidi ghat. Once at the top, the surrounding forest presents you’re with the picture-perfect setting with amazing wildlife clamouring within its veins. There are a variety of birds here and sighting the ‘Great Indian Squirrel’ would be great nevertheless.

Bhivgad

Not far from the Bhimashankar, in the Karjat region, you have a locally popular hill fort ‘Bhivghad’. Enthusiast travels from Karjat to the Vadap village at the base of Bhivgad, with variety of means possible. This is a particularly small climb of mere 803 feet from the base and waiting for you at the top is a striking waterfall. There are numbers of water cisterns that go back far in the past and stand as remains of old tales from our history.

Karnala fort

Just outside the city of Mumbai, you will find another gem hiding the midst of a protected area of Karnala. This spot is particularly popular among monsoon trekkers as it serves as a historical site embroiled into an amazing wildlife sanctuary. People travel to Panvel from which its only 20 km of the road ahead before they reach to Karnala. There is waiting for you is 1410 feet of climb to the Karnala Fort, which once served as the observation post.

The trekking itself is much intriguing as the Karnala wildlife sanctuary harbours around 125 species of birds alone. Travellers make their way to through the jungle to reach the fort where the remnant of fort survives along with man-made water cisterns.

Gorakhgad

Trekking to the caves of Gorakhgad which is basically is a hill fort has built up some reputation among the trekker. Travellers reach at Dehari form Thane and get set for 2 hours of uphill climb of 2140 feet from there.  Although trekkers are discouraged from climbing to the very top at the temple in rain, reaching to the caves is an extremely satisfying experience for many.

Prepare right for a trek

Before going to a monsoon trek, you better get ready for the things to come. Carry lots of water with you as its availability will not be guaranteed. Carry your things in a zip-lock plastic bag to keep them dry, a principle that should also be applied for your attire. Wearing a rain jacket or windcheater which is seam-sealed should be adequate for you to stay dry and still be comfortable enough to relish in a lovely environment outdoors.

For more information on monsoon trekking in Maharashtra, visit the following links:

Odati Adventures http://odati.com

Mumbai Hikers http://mumbaihikers.com/

HIM Adventures http://sahyadri.himadventures.net/