Together with Ravana Falls and Little Adam’s Peak, Ella Rock is another of the wonderful natural spots situated in the vicinity of Ella Village in Sri Lanka that every visitor should check out. I didn’t actually get to climb Ella Rock during my first visit to Ella, and I wasn’t planning to during the second one either, but it so happened after all that I did.
On an overcast afternoon, I was having a coffee and writing at a little cafe on the main road of Ella. A Brazilian friend, with whom we stayed together in Tomorrowland Hostel, passed by at random. He let me know that he was just about to go climb Ella Rock and he suggested that I join him. The sun would set quite soon and, despite being foggy, a short hike would be an ideal way to finish my day. I was in.
We were going to drive by scooter to the trailhead. But the problem was that we didn’t have a second helmet for me. Thinking of the abundance of scooters for rental in the village, we assumed that it shouldn’t be hard to find someone willing to also rent out a helmet for a couple of hours. This assumption was wrong. We went about asking all folks who rented bikes we could find but none of them had a spare helmet to give us, even though we offered money for it. After all, however, we luckily found a local dude who very kindly offered to borrow us his own helmet. All was settled and we rolled off.
It was a really pleasant hike; my favorite one out of all I did in Ella. Due to the fog, the views weren’t as great but the mystifying atmosphere cast by it throughout the alluring forest offered some really unique picture opportunities. Also, possibly due to being daunted by the rain-hinting weather, very few others did the hike concurrently with us, so that we got to enjoy the charming forest in its quiet, lonesome state. I’m very glad for not having skipped this hike, after all, and I totally recommend it. I’m following up with some useful info for the ones of you who are bound for Ella Rock.
Ella Rock step by step directions
The main starting point of the hike to the top of Ella Rock is the Kithalella train station (coordinates: 6.8612, 81.0431). In order to get there:
- Follow the main road leading west out of Ella and take the first road to the left after passing through the arch below the railway, right after Sleep Cheap guesthouse.
- Follow the road as it meanders up the slope and take the right at Maple Home Stay.
- Shortly after, take another right at Mountain Face Inn.
- Take the left at the next fork in front of Ambiente Hotel.
- Next fork to the right in front of La Ciel Ella guesthouse.
- Follow the road as it goes for a few km and take a sharp left right around Ella Final Gate guesthouse.
- About a km more and the road will terminate in front of Kithalella station.
There you park your vehicle and you continue on foot. In case someone asks you to pay parking fees, just ignore them; they are bluffers. The hike from there to the viewpoint of Ella Rock is about 3 km and should take between one and two hours. The trail goes as follows:
- Follow the railroad to the south (your right side as you look at it) for about 500 m.
- Keep your eyes open for a narrow path cutting through the vegetation on your left side (coordinates: 6.8578, 81.0440). That is the actual trailhead. It might be helpful to think of it like this: the railroad will be steadily curving to the left after the station; then it will turn to the right; right at the point it straightens and is about to take another left, that’s where your trailhead is.
- To locate the trailhead is the hardest part. From there on you just have to follow the all too obvious track and that will take you straight to the top. If ever in doubt, you may just wait a bit. It should not take long until some other hikers show up.
Ella Rock entry fee
No ticket or entry fee applies in order to climb Ella Rock. You are perfectly free to do it whenever you choose.
Ella Rock height
Ella Rock reaches an elevation of 1,041 meters AMSL.
Ella Rock guide
You shouldn’t be in need of a guide in order to climb Ella Rock. Even with absolutely minimal hiking experience, you shouldn’t encounter any difficulty with finding your way. If however, your experience with hiking through a forest is zero, you may consider hiring a guide. This is a pretty dense jungle, and getting lost in there wouldn’t be that pleasant. Your guesthouse owner and pretty much any local person you ask could easily fix a guide for you.
Ella Rock what to wear
You should ideally have hiking shoes. Although, technically, doing it on sandals, or even barefoot, is perfectly feasible. A warm top, especially during the earliest and latest hours of the day, would come in handy. You should also rather have a raincoat and a waterproof cover for your bag. You are in tropical mountains. Storms can break out at any moment, no matter how unlikely it may seem.
Ella Rock Trail Map
Accommodation and Activities in Sri Lanka
Stay22 is a handy tool that lets you search for and compare stays and experiences across multiple platforms on the same neat, interactive map. Hover over the listings to see the details. Click on the top-right settings icon to adjust your preferences; switch between hotels, experiences, or restaurants; and activate clever map overlays displaying information like transit lines or concentrations of sights. Click on the Show List button for the listings to appear in a list format. Booking via this map, I will be earning a small cut of the platform's profit without you being charged any extra penny. You will be thus greatly helping me to maintain and keep enriching this website. Thanks!
