Songiri Fort Trek
Raigad, Maharashtra
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- Max altitude
- 460 m
- Days
- 1 day
- Distance
- 9 km
- Difficulty
- Moderate
A low fort (about 400 m of climb), but the trail runs through dense jungle with many misleading cattle paths, a narrow slippery traverse above a drop and a rock wall near the top; trekkers report getting lost, so local help or a GPS track is advised.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1 · highest point
Palasdhari railway station → Palasdhari railway station (via Avalas and Songiri Fort)
62 m → 460 m → 62 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Palasdhari railway station
at 62 mLoading forecast…
High point · Songiri Fort top
at 460 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Palasdhari railway station (nearest town: Karjat)
- Nearest railway
- Palasdhari (Karjat–Khopoli suburban line); Karjat for long-distance trains
- Nearest airport
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai
- By road
- Mumbai (about 67 km to Palasdhari/Newali via Karjat); Karjat (about 7 km to Newali by auto-rickshaw)
- Drive
- About 2.5 h from Mumbai
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹150–1,000
With an operator
₹800
Per person, ex-Karjat. Treks and Trails India (treksandtrails.org, not affiliated with treksandtrails.in) lists the guided day trek at ₹800 including breakfast, tea and a trek leader, excluding train tickets and lunch; no second operator price could be confirmed. Self-guided is an estimate: suburban train fare from Mumbai, food carried from Karjat, and an optional local guide from Avalas or Newali shared within a group.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 20
Monsoon months (Jul–Sep): pack everything in plastic or a dry bag and wear shoes with good grip.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Mobile coverage at Palasdhari station and the villages; patchy in the forest below the fort (not confirmed by sources).
- Last ATM
- Karjat
- Nearest hospital
- Primary Health Centre at Newali for first care; Karjat for hospitals
- Water
- Monsoon streams along the trail and two rock-cut water tanks on the fort; no shops on the route, so carry water and food from Karjat, especially in winter and summer.
Highlights
- Triangular fort hill visible straight from Palasdhari station, reached by a quick local-train trip from Mumbai
- Dense jungle trail with monsoon streams, birds, butterflies and reptiles
- Summit view of Bor Ghat, Rajmachi, Dhak Bahiri, Prabalgad, Irshalgad, Matheran, Bhivgad and Palasdhari lake
- Quiet, little-visited fort with two rock-cut water tanks, a rock-cut trench and remnants of fortification
Risks
- Route-finding is the main danger: there are many cattle paths, and trekkers report getting lost several times; take a local guide or a GPS track, especially when monsoon grass is tall.
- Part of the trail is a narrow, loose traverse with a drop on one side, and the final approach includes a rock wall; both are slippery in the monsoon.
- Monsoon streams can rise quickly after heavy rain; in recent monsoons Raigad district has issued safety orders closing popular waterfalls and picnic spots, so check local orders before a June–September visit.
- No food or shops on the route, and the forest is hot and humid from March to May.
Know before you go
Questions
How do I reach Songiri Fort from Mumbai?
Take a local train to Karjat and change to the Karjat–Khopoli train to Palasdhari station. Avalas village is about 25 minutes' walk from the station; another approach starts from Newali village, about 7 km from Karjat by auto-rickshaw.
How long does the Songiri Fort trek take?
Operators quote about three hours one way from Palasdhari, and a trekker who did it in 2022 took about 2 hours from the trail start near the railway cabin, plus 30 minutes from the station. Plan a full day from Mumbai.
Is Songiri Fort suitable for beginners?
Opinions differ. The fort is low, but the jungle trail is confusing and has a rock wall section; one trekker who got lost four times says it is not for beginners and needs basic map skills, and the operator advises first-timers to take local help.
Is there water on Songiri Fort?
There are two rock-cut water tanks on top, and streams flow in the monsoon, but there are no shops on the way, so carry water and food from Karjat.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: RaigadMaharashtra
- Nearest hospital
- Primary Health Centre at Newali for first care; Karjat for hospitals
- Last ATM
- Karjat
- Phone network
- Mobile coverage at Palasdhari station and the villages; patchy in the forest below the fort (not confirmed by sources).
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Songiri Fort
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- SONGIRI-AAVLAS | Durgbharari — Durgbharari (Suresh Nimbalkar)
- Songiri Fort Trek Palasdhari — Treks and Trails India (treksandtrails.org)
- Songiri Fort (Palasdhari) trek — TheFreeBird (trip report)
Photos: Evameows, CC BY 4.0; Deepak Patil, CC BY-SA 3.0; Shivashree, CC BY 3.0
