Journey Date : 6 Nov, 2022
Mode of Transport : Train and Bus
The Fascinating History of Gumtara Fort
The historical roots of Gumtara Fort trace back to the Shilahar dynasty. Centuries later, during the golden era of the Maratha Empire, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj recognized its strategic value and refurbished the structure.
The fort also played a brief, tragic role during the Peshwa era. On March 24, 1737, during the famous Vasai campaign, the Peshwa army marched from Mahuli Fort and halted in the dense jungles at the base of Gumtara. Starved of water in the harsh terrain, the troops suffered heavily, and three to four soldiers tragically lost their lives here.
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| Gumtara Mountain |
How to Reach Gumtara Fort by Public Transport
The closest access points to the trailheads are the Vasai and Virar railway stations on Mumbai’s Western Local Railway Line.
- Via Usgaon Dam Route: Board a local train to Vasai Road Station. Walk to the Vasai West MSRTC Bus Depot and board a state transport bus heading toward Jawahar or Vajreshwari. Get down at the Usgaon Dhar stop.
- Via the Standard Route (Dugad/Mohili): From the Vasai depot, take a Jawahar-bound bus and get down at Dugad. From here, you can access Mohili village, the traditional starting point for the trek.
- By Auto Rickshaw: Shared or private autorickshaws are available directly from Vasai or Virar stations to the base villages. While faster than buses, drivers will charge a premium rate.
The Trail Experience: Attempting the Unexplored Usgaon Dam Route
Our trekking team consisting of myself, veteran trek expert Shailesh Sawant, and Vilas Uncle set out early. Catching a Virar local from Goregaon at 7:12 AM, we reached Vasai by 7:55 AM. After a brief delay at the local bus depot, we caught the 8:55 AM MSRTC bus, arriving at the Usgaon Dhar stop by 10:30 AM.
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| Vasai MRTC bus Depot |
After grabbing a quick breakfast at a roadside stall, we crossed Vajreshwari Road and began our trek along Usgaon Dam Road.
Traveler Note:: There are no proper restaurants or dhaba for lunch or breakfast; hence, it is recommended to carry enough food and water with you. Do not try Usgaon dam trek route without expert, forest is dense and high chance to lost in it.
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| Route towards Usgaon Dam |
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| Gavdevi Temple - Usgaon |
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| Usgaon Dam backwater |
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| Usgaon Dam backwater |
Phase 2: Into the Dense, Untouched Jungle
By 11:30 AM, we reached a remote tribal hamlet (Adivasi pada) at the foot of the mountain. While local farmers warned us that the Usgaon route was completely abandoned and overgrown, they offered a vital clue: "Follow the water stream upstream toward Bail Kada; from there, head toward Gumtara."
Important Safety Warning: The standard, safe route to the fort runs via Ambadi ➔ Dugad ➔ Mohili Village. The Usgaon Dam route is an advanced, untamed wilderness trail. Do not attempt this route without professional trekking equipment and an expert navigator.
As we pushed past the tree line, the jungle quickly closed in. The forest here is incredibly dense, with giant wooden spiders spinning webs across branches and a canopy so thick it completely blocks out direct sunlight.
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| House at base village |
Note: The actual route is Ambadi--> Dugad--> Mohilil village, from where the Gumtara trek starts, but we are trying to discover new routes; try only with experts and with proper trekking equipment.
We asked the villager for a guide, but they were busy with farming work, so we decided to go ourselves. By following the instructions, we entered the jungle and started following the water stream route. Within 15–20 minutes, we were stuck and unable to find a clear route. We were searching for a route for almost 30 minutes, and after a hard try by a trek expert, we found one that goes inside the jungle in an upward direction. We realise that the jungle is untouched; very rarely do people come here. We also saw a giant wooden spider, the first time I had seen such a big spider.
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| Giant Wooden Spider |
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| Gumtara Jungle |
We are moving ahead with trek expert Shailesh; we have crossed a small mountain and started descending towards another water stream. We took a 20–30 minute rest and started our trek. It was almost 12:30 p.m. now. We crossed the water steam and moved forward, following the water steam in the opposite direction (upward). We are almost out of water, so we are searching for a clean water stream. Finally, we found one where we refilled our water bottles, but at the next move, we realised that we were lost and needed to find a clear route. We found one route and started following it, but after 20–30 minutes, we reached a dead end. We took a U-turn and came back to the place where we refill our bottles. We almost wasted 30 minutes.
Phase 3: Getting Lost and Navigating Dead Ends
Following the rocky water stream, the trail vanished entirely. We spent 30 minutes scouting before Shailesh located a faint, ascending path. By 1:00 PM, we managed to scale the ridge line just above Bail Kada, where the reservoir below lay mirrored in the distance.
At this elevation, cellular networks completely drop out.
Network Tip: Only Jio SIM cards retain intermittent connectivity in this region. Carry at least one active Jio SIM among your group for emergencies.
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| Jumtara Jungle |
Almost after a walk of 30 minutes, we reached a plateau. We moved ahead by leaving the water stream and observed that we had reached a dead end. Once again, Shailesh tried hard to find the route, and he successfully found the route. The actual route was covered with bushes. He cleared the route, and we moved ahead towards Gumtara and realised the density of the jungle, hardly Sun light reaching the ground, and that Jio's SIM was out of network. If any incident happened, we were helpless and could not call anyone for help.
With safety in mind, we still moved ahead and once again crossed a water stream. We were tired of going to the opposite side of the mountain to find a route to reach the top, and once again we reached a dead end. The Treak expert tried hard to find the route, as we are only a short distance (3–4 floors) away, but didn't find a clear and safe route, and we also ran out of time.
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| Water Stream |
By 2:00 PM, time was running out. In the winter season, mountain visibility drops quickly under the thick jungle canopy. Prioritizing safety, our expert called the mandatory turnaround time.
At first, we lost the route but were able to find and follow the same route for the return journey, keeping the instruction of the expert in mind that we needed to reach base village at 5 p.m. and follow the route that goes downward. At least we will reach the base village.
While on our return journey, we found the clear route but ran out of time; hence, we kept this information for our next attempt and moved ahead for base village. When we reached the plateau, we missed our original path from where we came and mistakenly moved towards the right as we were in a hurry, but this path was also going downward, so we relaxed and kept moving.
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| Selfi Mysel, Vilas Uncle and Shailesh |
After 1 hour of descent (3:30 p.m.), we saw one hut where cows were kept, which is a sign of human presence. We kept moving and came across a water fall named "Bokad Kada Falls." We kept on moving, as we needed to reach the base village before sunset.
At around 4:30 p.m., we reached the water stream, took a rest for 15–20 minutes, had some fruits, and moved on. After 10–15 minutes of walking, we saw that the villager was busy with farming work. We inquired about the route for Vajreshwri Road, and the man said to follow the same path till the "Shaitan Pull" bridge; from there, you will get an autorickshaw. We realise that we descend from different routes, but we are not aware of our exact location. When we search on Google, we come to know that we are 15–20 km away from our starting point, which is beyond Vajreshwari temple.
We started from Usgaon Dhar, the 4th stop before Vajreshwari Temple, and descended to Ghotgaon, which is the next stop after Vajreshwari Temple.
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| Old tree in jungle |
After 30 minutes of walking, we reached a village, and luckyly, we got an autorickshaw. The auto driver is a kind person; we asked him to drop us off at Shaitan Pul, but he guided us to get down at Ganesh Puri bus depot so that we could get a bus for Vasai or Virar depot.
We reached the Ganeshpuri bus depot at around 6:00 p.m. We inquired about the bus, which comes at 6:00 p.m. but as usual, the MSRTC punctuality bus arrived at 6:30 p.m. which is already full, there is no place to stand inside the bus. So we decided to go by rickshaw, spent 150 rupees, and reached Virar station at around 7:30 p.m. We boarded the Churchgate local and got off at Goregaon station at around 8:50 p.m.
Essential Travel Tips for Gumtara
- Use Private Transport: State transport buses are notoriously plagued by scheduling delays and overcrowding. Using a private car or motorcycle saves hours of transit time.
- Start Early: Aim to reach the base village no later than 7:30 AM to account for route-finding delays.
- Self-Sufficiency is Key: There are no restaurants, dhabas, or clean water sources near the Usgaon trail. Pack a minimum of 3 liters of water and sufficient high-energy meals.
Nearby Attractions to Explore
If you want to extend your itinerary, the surrounding Tansa Valley region features incredible historical and cultural stops:
- Vajreshwari Temple: A historic fortress-style temple beautifully renovated by Chimaji Appa, the legendary brother of Peshwa Bajirao.
- Ganeshpuri Hot Springs: Natural, mineral-rich thermal water tanks located right next to the local temples.
- Mandakini Mountain: An adjacent peak famous for its ancient volcanic structures and meditation caves.
Final Thoughts
Though our first attempt via the Usgaon Dam route left the fort unscaled, the raw beauty, navigation challenges, and sheer isolation made it an unforgettable wilderness journey. We will be back to conquer Gumtara Fort soon—next time, tracking the traditional ridges!
Special thanks to Shailesh Sawant for his flawless jungle navigation and Vilas Uncle for supporting our expedition expenses.
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