India is a home to some of the magnificent waterfalls. The falls are torrents which can carve, shape or break the rocks, smash the trees and logs coming in between to make the way for gushing water but we still feel they are the most captivating marvels of nature. The sight of the flowing crystal clear water, thundering roaring sound; not only brighten up eyes and soul but makes body relaxed and rejuvenated after the tiring day too. On our recent trip to Mukteshwar town, we visited one such newly discovered, endearing fall known as the Bhalu Gaad waterfall.
The Bhalu Gaad fall is a 60 feet high fall from the undiscovered source. It is a mixture of horseshoe and plunge shaped waterfall. The water flows continuously throughout the year maintaining contact with the rock bed before turning to Plunge at the bottom. Indeed, the waterfall completely turns to plunge shaped when the water flow increases during the rainy season. Being recently discovered it is cleaner & less touristy as compared to other waterfalls of Uttarakhand.
But slowly the Mukteshwar town is gaining attraction, and the fall will enlist in the attractions of Mukteshwar. There is rainbow seen at the bottom of Bhallu Gaad Waterfall, so locals name it a Rainbow waterfall.
Description
The word Bhalu Gaad comes from two words Bhalu and Gaad where the word Bhalu means Bear and Gaad means stream in the Kumaoni language. So, it is believed to be a good location for Bear sightseeing. But luckily or unluckily we didn’t spot any during our trail walk.
How to reach Bhalu Gaad Waterfall
The Bhalu Gaad waterfall lies 10 kilometers from Mukteshwar town and 5 kilometers from the Club Ten pine lodge Mukteshwar. To reach the falls, drive from town to village Dhari. Park your vehicle in the open area near a roadside shack and from there trek for almost 2 kilometers into the woods.
The hike is a beautiful walk through the dense jungle with continuous ascents, and descents. The river flows along the trail and birds chirp throughout making the whole walk and place idyll. We crossed three streams in between the trek and at the end, there are huge rock boulders, which need to be climbed up and down to touch the natural clear pool filled with chilling water.
The total time to complete one side trek lasts from 45 minutes to an hour.
Tips for Visiting Bhalu Gaad Waterfall
- The hike is of an easy level, considering you need to cross the stream and climb rock in between.
- Ideally, visit the fall only between sunrises to sunset.
- There are no shacks near the fall, which is really good. So, carry your water bottle and snacks along. And remember not to litter around. Bring your wrappers and bottles back, to keep the fall and trails clean.
- The guide is available at the shack at Rs. 200/-. Hire him only, if you don’t want to catch the wrong trails and reach the unexplored villages.
- Entry to the Bhalu Gaad waterfall is free and the site can be accessed throughout the year.
Overall, the walk to newly discovered Bhalu Gaad waterfall is adventurous and it is a bird lover paradise too. We would have loved camping and watching stars near the fall, provided it was allowed.
If you like Bhalu Gaad Waterfall, please share it with your family and friends.
Also Read, post on Mukteshwar Town.
These pictures are so beautiful. I love the waterfall!
These pictures are so beautiful. I bet it would be so beautiful at night under the stars.
I bet it would be so beautiful at night under the stars camping out!
These pictures are beautiful!! I would absolutely love to visit there one day.
Thanks for sharing these photos! I have so many places I want to see in India. This looks gorgeous!
Wow! It looks absolutely beautiful there! I love learning about other areas. Maybe one day we will be fortunate to travel to India! :):)
This waterfall is so beautiful! That’s great advice about being able to hire a guide – I’d hate to get lost and miss it!
I dont understand how I missed out on so many waterfalls in India since we were there for a month! Wow, I love how cute yet beautiful Bhalu Gaad waterfall is. What a remarkable find!
I don’t think I saw one waterfall when I was in India! This just means I have to go back. This waterfall looks stunning <3
How recently was Bhalu Gaad discovered? It looks like a beautiful place for a hike and as a birder I would love to go birdwatching here.
Not sure with the date. Probably an year back
This hike looks gorgeous along the stream and the waterfall continuously flowing is a bonus
That looks like a wonderful waterfall. I love waterfalls, and always try to hike to them when I travel. I’ll be sure to keep this one in mind.
Can’t believe I’m hearing of this waterfall for the first time in your posts. It does look cleaner and less touristy. Let’s hope it stays that way. Loving your photos. Surely will try to visit in 2018.
Bhalu Gaad waterfall is absolutely stunning – took me a second but I finally could see the rainbow in your photo! Cool that it’s a year round flow – we have many waterfalls where I live in Tasmania but they’re only seasonal and dry up come summertime. Looks like a really beautiful hike through the forest to get there too. What a cool trip!
That is a pretty waterfall You did well sharing with us your journey to the Bhalu Gaad Waterfall near Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand! Especially since it is one of year-round flow!
I love me a good waterfall, and this one looks spectacular! Thank you for all of the useful information as well to make the trip much smoother.