Harihar Fort - Famous Trek for its Steep Steps

 

Harihar fort is located in the Nashik district of Maharashtra. It lies at an altitude of 3,676 ft from the sea level. Fort is built on the triangular prism of rock during the Yadava dynasty. The attraction of Harihar fort is the iconic steps to the top of the fort. It is almost 80 degrees vertically inclined. There are Lord Hanuman, Shiva and Nandi idols and a small pond at the fort. The view from the fort is beautiful. You can see many forts and peaks such as Bhaskargad or Basgad, Anjaneri fort, Brahmagiri and Utwad fort from the top. Harihar fort is also known as Harshgad or Harihargad.

 

 

Harihar fort trek can be divided into 2 sections based on the difficulty level. First section is Nirgudpada village (Kotamwadi) to the plateau and the second section is Plateau to the top through iconic steps. The plateau can also be reached from Harshewadi village. The Harihar fort trek starts from the Kotamwadi village which is 300 meters from  Nirgudpada village. The exact location where you need to get inside the village is opposite to the Harihar dhaba. It is very close to Nirgudpada bus stop. Once you start the trek from the village towards Trimbak region, the trail is pretty simple. You pass through many fields and small streams. The trail starts gradually climbing up once you cross those fields. From here you need to pass through forest and clearings where you can see the fort.

 

 

After trekking for 1 hour 15 minutes on the same trail, you reach a plateau. The route from Harshewadi also joins here. From here you can see the most challenging part of the trek, that is the Iconic steps. Observe how beautifully steps are carved on the almost 80 degrees vertical rock. There is a small stall at the end of the plateau. Take a small break here. Prepare yourself for the very exciting and challenging trek that is awaiting in front of you. These rock-cut steps look scary but once you start climbing them, you have enough support there for your safety. So it is not scary as it looks from far. There are notches carved in for support. Place your foot carefully. During monsoon season they become slippery because of the moss formation. There are around 90 steps before you reach the Mahadarvaja. They are maintained pretty well compared to other forts in that region.

 

 

After the Mahadarvaja, the trail takes you to a left traverse. Here, your left is open to a valley and your right is the wall of the fort. You can see the Harshewadi village on your left. Once you cross the traverse, you encounter another set of steep steps. You have to climb up around 100 steps to reach the top. After climbing those steep steps, you pass through a small cave. Almost an hour of an exciting climb, you reach the fort.

 

On the fort, you can see Lord Hanuman, Shiva and Nandi idol in the small temple. There is also a pond in front of the idols. You can also see the highest point of the fort. Take some time to get absorbed in the 360-degree view of the Sahyadri’s Trimbakeshwar region. Enjoy the mesmerizing view of all the famous peaks and forts completely immersed in lush green colour.

 

 

The best time to do Harihar fort trek is from June to February. Monsoon is the best season to see the lush green Sahyadris. All the fields in the villages and trails will be full of green grasses. Post monsoon season offers a clear view of the famous forts and spectacular views from the top of Harihar fort. Weather can be extremely hot during the summer. So trekking to the Harihar fort is not recommend during this season.

 

 

Nashik Railway Station is the nearest railway station at the distance of 56 km. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai is the nearest airport at the distance of 170 km. If you are travelling from Mumbai, get into the local train from Mumbai CST and reach Nashik road. From here take a cab that goes to Harshewadi. If you are travelling from Nashik, reach Trimbakeshwar. From there get a cab to Nirgudpada.