Nature reserve

Longwood Shola

Kotagiri· Sep–Mar

Off the beaten pathForest permit required

A protected pocket of old-growth shola on the edge of Kotagiri town — the easiest place in the Nilgiris to walk into intact montane forest.

A reserved forest of barely a square kilometre, kept as a 'protected shola' on Kotagiri's doorstep.

It is one of the best-known birding sholas in the hills, with several Nilgiri endemics in easy reach.

Entry is through the Forest Department; a guide can be arranged locally and helps with both access and sightings.

Longwood Shola is a state-protected reserve forest, not a Ramsar or internationally designated site — older travel write-ups sometimes overstate its status.

On the map

Good to know

Access: Edge of Kotagiri town; Forest Department entry
Best time: September to March, early morning