Day Camping Sites Near Bangalore & Our Experience

Camping Site Near Bangalore– While life in most metro cities might seem to be rewarding initially, eventually, the mundane routines of imperfect work-life balance and the traffic woes start seeping in.

Thankfully despite being a metro, Bangalore still has a lot to offer when looking for an escape into the lap of nature. Some off-beat places that Travelescape’s community recommends are DD Hills.

There are many places in and around Bangalore to spend quality time with loved ones.

Table of Contents

• Camper’s Camping Site Near Bangalore
• Close to Bangalore and more intimate to Nature
• Getting Ready for the Trip
• Rough roads often lead to great destinations.
• Setting up the Camp
• Much awaited Breakfast
• Our Camping Gears List
• A Cup of Coffee in mid of nature
• Nothing from the To-do List
• Is it safe for overnight camping?
• Too Full for Lunch
• Wrapping up for the day
• Let me summarize a few crucial details about this camping site:
• A Vlog to Justify the Camping?

Before You Go: What This Place Is, and Isn't

Checked in October 2026.

Question	Answer
What is it?	An open stretch of riverbank by the Thaavaragatte pump house on the Arkavathi, south of Kanakapura, in Kanakapura taluk of Bengaluru South district (Ramanagara district until May 2025).
Is it an official campsite?	No. No one runs it, licenses it or patrols it, and there is no one to ask for permission.
Is a tent allowed?	There is no permission to be had, so no tent is "allowed" here in any official sense. A tent or tarp for shade by day, packed away before you leave, is what Mayank did. If the bank is forest land, entering or camping on it without permission is an offence under the Karnataka Forest Act; we could not confirm who owns it.
Overnight?	No. Wild elephants move through this valley, mostly at night, and there is no fence, no light and no help nearby.
The river?	Stay out. It carries Bengaluru's sewage downstream, it is choked with weed in places, and mugger crocodiles live where it meets the Cauvery at Sangama.
Facilities?	None: no toilets, no drinking water, no food, no shade but trees. The pump house staff may object to cars parked in front of it.
Getting there?	About 80 km from central Bengaluru, 1½ to 2 hours. The last stretch after Nidagallu is broken and waterlogged in the rains; the final 300 to 500 metres are a mud trail for high-clearance cars or on foot.
Cost?	Free, because it is not a campsite at all.

If you go anyway, go carefully: in a group, in daylight, and out by 4 or 5 pm, as Mayank was. Tell someone where you are. Carry all your water and food, a first-aid kit and a charged phone, and do not count on a signal. Make no fire. Leave nothing behind: what keeps a place like this clean is the people who carry their rubbish home.

Camper’s Camping Site Near Bangalore

Today I will share a serene camping site where you will only find a few people. And the best part – it’s a free camping site. (2026: free because it is not a campsite; see "Before You Go" above.)

You do not have to pay anything to anyone—no parking charges, no camping charges, and no hidden charges whatsoever.

On top of that, the place is super clean and very close to nature, with a river and a hill in front of the camping site, adding to the beauty.

Occasionally, you may see a herd of sheep, goats, and beautiful aquatic birds. (2026: and, after dark, wild elephants: this stretch of the Arkavathi is part of their corridor. In November 2025 two of them drowned crossing the Harobele reservoir backwaters, on the same river in Kanakapura taluk.) Doesn’t that sound like a dream come true for any nature enthusiast?

Apart from all I have shared, the place also gives an adrenaline rush to those always looking for slight off-roading while driving/riding on a mud trail.

Close to Bangalore and more intimate to Nature

We are talking about approximately 80 KMs from Bangalore and 66 KMs from my house, which is in JP Nagar, Bangalore.

The name of this beautiful camping site is Thaavaragatte Pump House in Kanakpura. This pump house is very close to the beautiful Arkavathi and takes 1.5 to 2 hours to reach the destination.

Thaavaragatte Pump House on Google Maps

We had been planning to go somewhere not so far from Bangalore where I don’t have to keep pressing the clutch and breaks that often while driving.

A scenic road view would have added to the overall experience.

Also, some self-cooked, essential South-Indian cuisine in the open air would strike the right balance. Considering all these things, we finalized Thaavergatte Pump House as an off-beat, soul-invigorating destination.

I also recommend you read my blog on KRS Backwater Camping, another best camping sites near Bangalore.

Getting Ready for the Trip

Since I had a night shift on Friday, I didn’t want to be too stressed out during the journey, after-all the intent was to relax at the end of the day. I had a good sleep after the office.

Thanks to Work-From-Home, one can go to bed minutes after finishing the shift. We started after I had a good six hours of sleep, and we thought of having breakfast while sitting next to river Arkavathi.

We started from our place by approximately 10:30 and were supposed to reach the pump house by 12:15.

However, unfortunately, there was some commotion on the road, which led us to be late by nearly 45 minutes or so.

Rough roads often lead to great destinations.

The road was good till the last village, Nidagallu, but the street from the town to the pump house could be better.

There is a narrow road that is too partially broken, and you would also experience some water logging on the road. Not a great route for cars that have relatively low ground clearance.

One might assume the pump house to be the last spot as the road is not visible from there. However, from the left side, there is a mud trail, which doesn’t seem welcoming due to the wild hedges partially covering the mud road.

Taking your car beyond this point is advisable only if it has good ground clearance. Alternatively, you can also take a walk as the said camping site is hardly 300 to 500 meters from this point.

I thoroughly enjoyed driving on this piece of the trail, thanks to my Force Gurkha, which has been built considering all these adverse riding conditions.

Once we crossed this part which seemed like an initial barrier, we found ourselves in a beautiful place with ample space to park our car and set up our camp.

Setting up the Camp

After helping me with the initial setup, my wife started preparing a galvanizing cup of strong tea, which was much required. Meanwhile, my son helped me with the remaining setup and then started capturing the moments from his perspective.

This was my first time trying to use a tarp shade. Since we were not carrying the Awning Poles, we used tree branches for our experiment, which went pretty well.

Much awaited Breakfast

Since we had started without having anything substantial, breakfast was immediately next on the agenda.

My wife prepared a generous helping of some flavorsome Upma, a.k.a., Uppumavu or Uppittu, a great Indian dish equally loved in the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

Being quite full after having Upma, I felt like going for a walk to help me with my metabolism. On the other hand, my wife preferred to go for a power nap in the tent.

After all, someone had to utilize the tent after taking the pain of setting up the entire thing.

My son, unable to decide whether to go for a walk or settle down for a nap, preferred relaxing on the reclining camping chair.

Our Camping Gears List

At this point, I would like to share some information about my camping gear. When we know that we will not get any help from anyone in remote sites like these, we should clarify what we should carry along for a pleasant camping experience.

You may want to include or exclude a few items as per your requirement; here is mine for a day camping:

1. A Tarp/Garden Umbrella – To give shelter against sunlight and rain.
2. Camping Chairs – To have a comfortable, above-the-ground seating arrangement.
3. Camping Tables – To provide a platform for cooking/eating.
4. Stove with Butane Gas – To help you in quick and effective cooking arrangements.
5. Kitchen Box/es – To carry the basic utensils and groceries.
6. Water Supply – Drinking Water, as well as water to wash utensils.
7. High Energy, ready-to-eat snacks – Keep your spirits high while preparing your food.
8. Tent – To provide a private and protected space for a quick nap or overnight stay.
9. Toilet/Changing Tent – To be used as a changing room/washroom.
10. Medical Kit – To keep you ready against any mishap.
11. Flashlight – To help in the dark if you get late while wrapping up/during night camping.

A Cup of Coffee in mid of nature

Returning to our camping, after spending some time in mid of nature, we had the urge to elevate our caffeine levels.

This time, coffee would be our magical potion to rouse us up. After having coffee, my wife and I went for a nature walk along the river Arkavathi.

We soon found ourselves sharing that space with a herd of sheep and goats.

The goats and sheep were plunging into the river’s shallow waters, making those beautiful sounds of mild splashes.

The herd walking in the water sounded melodious, sporadically breaking the place’s silence.

Nothing from the To-do List

Here, I would like to inform all the readers that this place is for someone other than the ones who believe in going to sites with a to-do list in mind. You will not find any water activities like boating or water zorbing.

It’s also not advisable to get into the water without knowing the forms of life that may be sharing that space with you. (2026: the Arkavathi below Bengaluru also carries the city's sewage, so do not drink, wash in or swim in it.)

Also, since the place is not too developed, you should not expect any facilities nearby. There is just a pump house in the name of a concrete structure.

Is it safe for overnight camping?

We heard a few animal sounds from the thick forest near the place. We are still determining if the site is safe enough for an overnight stay. If anyone is thinking of an overnight stay, check with the locals and make necessary additions to the camping setup. (2026: our answer now is no. Elephants move through this valley at night, and farmers in Kanakapura taluk have been killed by them in recent years. For a night under canvas, choose a permitted campsite, below.)

Too Full for Lunch

We were carrying some boiled potatoes and Dosa Batter for lunch; however, we didn’t feel the need for the same as we were not hungry.

The packet of the Dosa Batter was bloated by now in the absence of refrigeration and seemed to be exploding very soon.

We learned that it’s a good idea to refrigerate the batter or similar materials if you are going on a hot day.

Wrapping up for the day

We wrapped up the place by nearly 4:00 p.m. and started our journey home. The timing was so great that soon after we headed back, it started raining heavily.

We enjoyed that drive in the rain as well. Although the rain impacted our speed, we reached home by 7:00 pm.

Please follow the below link to reach this beautiful camping site:

Let me summarize a few crucial details about this camping site:

1. Distance – 80 KMs from Bangalore
2. Parking Space – Pump House employees may object to parking their vehicles in front of the building.
3. Parking Charges – No Parking Charges
4. Camping Charges – No Camping Charges as you don’t have to pay mother nature.
5. Eateries – No Eateries/hawkers available. Please keep your arrangement.
6. Drinking Water – Please carry your drinking water.
7. Toilets – No Toilets available. Please carry your toilet tent.
8. Activities – No adventure/water activities.

Want to Camp Overnight? Choose a Permitted Campsite

A night outdoors near Bangalore is worth doing, inside a boundary, with someone responsible for the site.

• Government-run, by Jungle Lodges & Resorts (Karnataka): the Bheemeshwari Adventure and Nature Camp, about 105 km away on the Cauvery, with tents from about ₹5,100 a person including meals; and Galibore Nature Camp near Sangama, about 120 km away, from about ₹4,800 a person, forest entry included. Book on junglelodges.com. Prices change with the season.
• Private campsites around Kanakapura and Ramanagara: many farms now host campers. Choose one with a fenced site and a named host who stays the night, toilets and drinking water, lights after dark, recent reviews, and a clear answer on what happens if it rains or someone falls ill.
• Forest treks such as Savandurga, Makalidurga and Skandagiri are booked only on the Forest Department's Aranya Vihaara portal, with a guide; camping inside the forest is not allowed.

A Vlog to Justify the Camping?

Here’s our exclusive vlog, which is the video documentation of our camping near Bangalore, Please do watch it out for all the detail.

Questions People Ask Us

Is a tent allowed here? There is no one to allow it: the spot is not a campsite. A tent or tarp for shade by day, packed away when you leave, is the most anyone should do here.

Can we stay overnight? No. This is elephant country, with no fence, no lights and no help close by. Book a permitted campsite instead.

Is it really free? Yes, because no one runs it. That also means no toilets, no water and no one to call.

Can we swim or play in the river? No: the water carries sewage from the city, weed can trap you, and crocodiles live downstream.

Is there a camping spot on the Cauvery bank? On the Cauvery near Sangama and Bheemeshwari the banks are in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, so the only way to camp there is at the Jungle Lodges camps above. (A reader asked us this in 2024.)

Do we need a 4x4? For the last mud trail, a car with good ground clearance, or walk the final 300 to 500 metres.