Mystery trails in Veerappan land may see revival  

BENGALURU: Once a much sought-after trail for trekking enthusiasts, the 8-20-km Gopinatham Veerappan trails has slowly fallen off their radar. Now, the Karnataka forest and tourism departments have big plans to bring back the crowd and are designing a complete experience package for visitors.  

To get rid of the negative image associated with forest brigand Veerappan who once terrorised the region, they want to rebrand it as ‘Mystery Trails’, which was also part of the recent budget document of the state government. Officials of both departments have conducted a recce of the region and are working on opening up for tourists by December-end.  

“Since the last couple of years, no one, including forest department officials, are visiting the area. Tourists come to the Gopinatham Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) for stay and then leave. Now we are working on offering more. Those interested can go for the trek. It was never stopped, but people stopped coming,” Chief Conservator of Forests, Chamarajanagar, Manoj Kumar told The New Indian Express. 

Places where forest and police department officials died on duty will be showcased. The waterfalls in the region, including the Hogenakkal Falls, will also be showcased and even a safari is being planned, he added.

“Tented accommodation is already available in Gopinatham and those interested can take the trail. We are also planning to start independent trekking. Work on improving the safari roads and view-points is also going on,” said JLR Managing Director Kumar Pushkar adding that Rs 5 crore has been kept aside for the project. Conservationists and forest officials pointed out that it was one of the most popular and crucial trekking routes.