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Trail Difficulty: Easy | Moderate | Strenuous | Tough

Trail Head: Knuckles Conservation Centre (KCC) – Deanston

Nearest Town: Hunnasgiriya                          Nearest City:Kandy

Access to Trail head: Knuckles South Trail Map | More about Knuckles South

Route to Knuckles Conservation Centre (KCC) – Deanston

Colombo->Kandy[A1] -> Hunnasgiriya[A26] -> KCC (On Hunnasgiriya -Loolwatta Road)

Total distance from Colombois 160km. Paved roads all the way from Colombo. Condition of the road stretch from Hunnasgiriya can vary from good to bad depending on the level of maintenance. Generally this stretch can be tackled by an ordinary car.

Trail End: Mini world’s End – Observation Point

Total Length: 1.1 km

Elevation Gain: Negligible (Elevation at Trail Head: 1134m | Elevation at Trail End: 1192m).

Approximate time: 1 hour

Hiking Season: Best months are February to September

Permit Required: YES. Permit can be obtained from Knuckles Conservation Centre.

Mini World’s end is an escarpment situated at the southern end of the Knuckles range. From this location, the panoramic view of the knuckles range and some of the villages situated in the foot hills of knuckles can be seen.

The place is called “Mini world’s end” as it resembles a smaller version of the “world’s end” drop situated at Horton Plains National Park.

0 to 350m: From Knuckles Conservation Centre (Waypoint: ME01) start walking down towards the small lake known as “Deanston Lake” which is situated behind the conservation centre. After crossing a small bridge, you will reach the bank of the small lake. From this point you have to walk to your right along the bank for about 10 meters and move in to a small forest patch. As you walk about 50m more, you will come out of this tiny forest patch. As you come out of this, you will find the trail moving beside a wooden fence. As you walk about 50m along the fence you will find a place where you can walk over the fence (Yes !, walk over it J ) to the other side (Waypoint: ME03)

As you walk over the fence, you will have to climb some steps and walk up hills, moving towards a Pines plot. As you enter the Pines plot, you will find a split of the trail (Waypoint: ME04). It is a circular trail that goes via Mini-World’s end. Take the trail towards left.

350m to 1.1km: As you walk in to the Pines plot on the left hand side trail, you will walk along a fairly flat section for about 100m. Then you will experience a mild ascend. As you climb up for about 30m, you will find another trail on to your left hand side moving down hills (Waypoint: ME06). This trail to your left is the “Hapugaskumbura Nature Trail”. You have to walk along the right hand side branch which continues to climb up.

After you climb up for about 100m more, the trail will again become flat. As you walk further you will observe the Pines plots transforming from “Pines Only” to an area where Pines is mixed with some native species of bushes and grass. Continue to walk along the trail, occasionally climbing along stone steps. The trail will climb up to the edge of the escarpment (Waypoint: ME09). From there, turn right and walk along the edge for about 30m more to reach a place where there is a rock extrusion which allows you to walk right up to the edge. Now you are at the Mini-world’s end observation point (Waypoint: ME10).

On your way back: Continue along the edge of the escarpment for about 200m, turn right and climb down along the Pines plots to reach the point where the two trails split (Waypoint: ME04). Distance from ME10 to ME04 on the return path is 1km

Tips, Notes & special remarks:

•  There are no water sources on the trail. Get your water bottles filled from the Knuckles Conservation Center
• Leaches may occasionally bother you.
• Weather in the Knuckles range is extremely unpredictable, thick mist can cover mountains in a matter of minutes. Be prepared for rain.

Way Points