Tamil Nadu's forest department is about to make your trekking adventures a whole lot easier. They're launching a brand new initiative – The Online Trekking Trail Atlas. This user-friendly online platform will be your one-stop shop for exploring the state's diverse trekking trails.

The Online Trekking Trail Atlas will feature over 40 carefully curated trails, ranging from easy family strolls to challenging expeditions. Each trail will come with detailed information, including distance and difficulty level, clear travel instructions, description of the terrain and sights as well as availability of food and water.

The online atlas won't just tell you where to go, it will show you as well. The website, which is scheduled to be launched in July, will have high-quality photos showcasing the beauty of each trail and informative videos giving you a sneak peek of the trekking experience. The project, budgeted at ₹4 crore, has involved collaboration with local communities, with reports suggesting involvement of over
400 guides from local tribes. This focus on local participation aims to promote responsible tourism practices and empower communities living near the trekking routes.

About Trekking In Tamil Nadu-
Back in 2018, Tamil Nadu had shut down all its trekking routes after a Kurangani Hills forest fire had claimed the lives of 23 trekkers and other civilians. And now, after 6 years, Supriya Sahu, the Additional Chief Secretary of Environment Climate Change & Forests Tamil Nadu took to X to announce that the government was restarting 40 safe trekking routes in the state, which will be booked online.

As per reports, some of the popular routes that will be reopened to travellers include a jungle trail in the Siruvani Hills, the Parsonsvally-Mukurthi hut trek in Nilgiris, Topslip-Pandaravarai in Pollachi, Sembukarai-Perumalmudi in Coimbatore and Vattakanal-Vellagavi in Kodaikanal.