Most folk come to Lataguri for the safaris. The elephants, rhinos, barking deer, all that action in Gorumara National Park. But, you? You’re different. You want to walk the land. Feel it underfoot. Sweat through the undergrowth, hear the crisp snap of a dry twig under your boot. Trekking in Lataguri? Barely anybody talks about it. But the trails? Wild. Unpredictable.
Some paths are whispered about by locals. Some ain’t even on maps. You take one wrong turn, and suddenly you’re staring at a wild bison. Or a forgotten tribal shrine covered in moss. So, if you’re lookin’ for trekking routes nobody else bothers to walk, you’re in the right place.
1. Chukchuki Watchtower Trail
Not a soul heads here in the early morning mist, except bird watchers and the odd guide who still believes in ghosts. A narrow, worn-out path snakes from the main dirt road, disappearing into a tunnel of sal trees. Locals say at dawn, when the sun burns through the fog, the trees “whisper”. Sounds like birds, they claim. Or something else.
Once you’re halfway, it opens up to a massive clearing—hundreds of birds, many rare migratory species. If you stand still enough, the forest comes alive—Indian hornbills, the sneaky hill mynas, maybe even a crested serpent eagle eyeing you from above.
Time to complete: 2-3 hours (depends on your pace, and if you stop for them birds)
Best time to go: October–February (monsoon turns it into a mud trap)
2. The Vanishing Trail
Somewhere between Murti River and Jatraprasad Watchtower, there’s a trail you won’t find on maps. Once every few months, locals report seeing footprints—deep, pressed in, like someone walked through with heavy boots. But nobody ever admits to making them.
This trek? Not for first-timers. Path fades in and out, sometimes swallowed by tall elephant grass, sometimes completely erased after heavy rainfall. Takes you past abandoned forest outposts, places where guards once lived but left decades ago. One hut still has a rusted lantern hanging from a wooden peg. Why did they leave? Good question. No one’s keen to answer.
Time to complete: 3-4 hours (if you don’t lose the trail)
Best time to go: November–March (**Summer? Too hot. Monsoon? Good luck surviving.)
3. Murti Riverbank Walk
Starts off peaceful. Cool breeze, soft gurgling sound of Murti River beside you. Smooth. About a kilometer in, things change. The river’s current speeds up, and the jungle thickens. Few people walk past the old footbridge—some say it collapsed once, took a man down with it.
You push forward? Expect wild boar tracks near the muddy patches. Maybe an Indian Gaur sighting, especially if you step too close to the dense bamboo thickets. Some trekkers claim they’ve heard loud splashes at night, way off in the distance. Was it an animal? Or the sound of something being dragged into the river?
Time to complete: 2.5 hours (unless you stop to freak out at every strange noise)
Best time to go: September–December (Post-monsoon makes the river dramatic)
4. Chapramari Core Trail
This one ain’t official. No guides, no markers, no help if you get lost. But it’s there. Takes you deep into Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, where the biggest elephants of the region roam unbothered. You’ll cross fallen trees, jump over tiny jungle streams, and maybe even find pugmarks of a leopard if you’re quiet enough.
Thing is, you never feel alone. You might not see a thing, but you know something’s there. Watching. Moving between the trees. Could be a rhesus macaque. Or something bigger.
Time to complete: 3-5 hours (depends on how much adrenaline you got)
Best time to go: Winter, always winter (Summer? Animals restless. Monsoon? Swamps, leeches, disaster.)
5. Tashiding Hill Trail
Few know this. Even fewer go. Hidden behind an old monastery, this steep uphill climb takes you to the highest point in Lataguri’s outskirts. Locals say the gods walked here once, left behind blackened stones arranged in strange formations. Nobody dares move them.
Midway up? A hidden cave. Cool inside, no matter how hot outside. Inside the cave, an old trident, rusted, stuck into the ground. Belongs to Shiva, they say. Touch it, make a wish. But only once. Ask twice? The mountain takes something in return.
Reach the top? Jungle stretches endlessly beneath you. On a clear day, you see Bhutan’s snow-capped peaks in the far distance. Silence. Except for the wind whipping through your sweat-drenched clothes.
Time to complete: 4 hours (or more, if you stop to stare at the weird stone formations)
Best time to go: March–April (Winter’s too foggy. Monsoon? Don’t even think about it.)
Which Trail Will You Take?
Lataguri ain’t just jeep safaris and tourist-packed nature camps. The real adventure? Lies in the places where few step foot. Some trails lead to old stories. Others take you places where the forest doesn’t care if you’re there or not.
You lace up your boots, pick a trail, and start walking. The jungle waits.