Doddabetta Peak, Ooty, Tamil Nadu India

The Doddabetta Peak stands at an altitude of 2,623 meters. It is the highest point in the district, making it possibly the best vantage point around Ooty. It is merely 10kms from Ooty so you can simply grab your camera and head straight to the peak, and click amazing pictures of the valley below. On a clear day, which is honestly not that often, one can see far off areas, even the plains of Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore.

The Doddabetta Peak is said to be one of the highest peak in south India & famous tourist spot in India. Ooty is undisputedly one of the best hill stations of South India and anyone who visits it is so completely charmed by its beauty that he cherishes the desire to visit it over and over again.

There is a "Telescope house" that is run by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation in the Doddabetta Peak to enable the tourist to get a better view. Any visitor is sure will be impressed after a visit to this highest peak of the Nilgiris. Trekking to the top peak as it is not very challenging, and at the same time provides views that are worth every step you take through the jungles.

Ooty is known for its high altitude tourist attractions and one of them is the Doddabetta Peak also spelled as ‘Dodabetta’ that is perched at an altitude of 2,623 meters or 8,650 feet above mean sea level which is approx. 383 meter higher than Ooty.

Stretching tall along the Ooty – Kotagiri Road in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu in South India, the Doddabetta Peak is famous for being the highest point in the Nilgiris and South India as well. It offers probably one of the best and perfect vantage points around the entire town of Ooty.

Doddabetta Peak is just a short trekking distance of 10 kms from the main town of Ooty and about 8 kms from the Ooty Railway Station and the Ooty Bus Stand. You can also opt to enjoy a pony ride to Doddabetta Peak, however, the joy of arriving at the highest point in South India by foot is a different experience altogether.

The name of the Doddabetta Peak was derived from the Badaga Tribe word which means ‘Big Mountain’, tracing it roots way back to the Kannada language and Badaga aural based language. Towards the western portion of the Doddabetta Range stand, three close competitors, referred to as the Hecuba peak perched at an altitude of 2,375 meters above MSL, Kattadadu perched at an altitude of 2,418 meters above MSL and Kulkudi peak perched at an altitude of 2,439 meters above MSL that moreover matches with the attitude of Ooty.

Despite the fact that these three Towering Peaks of the Nilgiris are closely linked in their altitudes with the majestic and transcendent Doddabetta Peak, they still are second to the best in terms of the accessibility and the panoramic views the Doddabetta Peak can offer. This is possible as the topography of the Doddabetta Range reveals a remarkable flattened curve at its summit.

Apart from the Doddabetta Peak being the pinnacle of the Plateau of the Nilgiris, it also features thick and dense forest area that covers the entire region as well. The Doddabetta Peak encompasses a collection of Sholas [Patches of small moist evergreen subtropical and tropical broadleaf forest] that cover the hollow sections of the Doddabetta slopes. The somewhat diminutive rhododendron trees spanning amidst the thick coarse grassland including herbal plants and flowering sub-alpine shrubs are a common sight near the Doddabetta Peak.