Gulnadi waterfalls near Byndoor inside private property!
October 2022 Update: Visited again, water level was very less. Have shot a drone footage (added at the end of this post)
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Gulnadi falls is a small, beautiful, unknown waterfalls in Udupi district. Gulnadi waterfall is in private property, some 20 kms from NH66 in Byndoor and accessible via couple of kms of trek if you don’t have a 4x4. On previous two visits when we went to Halkamane falls I didn’t manage to locate/explore Gulnadi, either because we were getting late or because it was raining. Finally managed to visit Gulnadi falls recently and here is all you need to know.
Gulnadi falls is not a commercial falls, there are no designated trails, no entry fee, no one to guide you or assist if you are lost/fall down. Gulnadi falls is a medium size fall with water dropping off the rocks deep inside arecanut plantation.
Last Saturday, I decided to explore Gulnadi falls. First we went straight to Haklamane falls which I had already visited twice in 2021 September and October. This time I was curious to see how much water will be there in mid-June. As there were fair bit of rain in May and June, there were some water in Haklamane mid June. So it was not a wasted visit.
Next we wanted to explore Gulnadi falls, which map showed as 800 meters away. I was not very confident if my 4x2 car would handle the road so I decided to park and walk. It was uphill walk, roads seemed doable on a normal car with good ground clearance if engine has some power and driver is confident. But there were few tricky spots like slippery surfaces, rocky spots which would be tricky. If you are confident you can try, else park at a safe distance and be ready to trek a few kms.
The access path was not clear- map showed a diversion but we went further, asked a home owner for directions and came back a bit. We had to open the gate and enter a private property. We walked further following the sound of the falls. At first we saw only a small stream. Then we decided to go further down and explore if there is a better view. There was
We got a better view and that tempted us to explore more. We had to cross the stream, walk through a arecanut plantation and go closer to the Gulnadi falls. We got closer at a few points and finally decided to return. Maybe there is a path to go even closer, but the steps were steep and it felt risky.
I should have taken my drone and Insta360. Because of possible rain I left them behind. Will plan next time.
Gulnadi falls visitor information:
- Nearest town: Byndoor, Udupi district, 20 kms
- Trekking required: 2.5-3 kms if your car can’t handle bad roads, 1 km if you have 4x4 and can drive closer.
- Directions: Follow google map, turn left at the first makeshift gate, follow the sound of water.
- Entry fee: None
- Things to remember: Possible leeches, private property, close gates if you open any
Nearby attractions: Haklamane falls * Kollur * Ottinene viewpoint * Belkal Theertha falls * Kodachadri *
Gentle request: If you enter private property opening some gates, be sure to close it back. Those are mostly added to prevent cattles and other animals entering or escaping from property. If you leave it open, owners may face lots of issues- like outside animals coming in and eating crops, their cows escaping out and things like that.
Also take care not to damage the property as you walk around. Owners might have put barricades to control water flow, paid out pipelines to fetch water from the falls and other sensitive agricultural setups. Be careful not to damage them as you explore the falls.
Thus the waterfall exploration season has begun. Waiting for the rainy season to end so that I can explore various waterfalls of Udupi, North Canara and Shivamogga districts. Stay tuned to my blog
A short drone video is now available [Watch on youtube]
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