Horton Plains National Park

The Horton Plains National Park is a popular tourist destination located in the Nuwara Eliya district of Central Province, Sri Lanka. The plateau on which Horton Plains is located in is the highest plateau in the country. It is well known for its beautiful landscape of rolling hills, rare plants, and animal lives.  The average temperature of the area is about 16⁰C. The elevation of the park range from 1200 – 2300 meters. The Horton Plains is spread over bout 3160 hectares. This region was designated a national park in 1988.

The combination of  Horton plains, its surroundings forests, and the adjoining Peak Wilderness is the most important catchment area of most of the major rivers in Sri Lanka. The plains are also habitats for many endemic plants and animals. Therefore, the Horton Plains are well recognized as rich biodiversity and high endemism area.

World’s End

The Horton Plains plateau comes to a sudden end at World’s End, with a sheer cliff of about 1200m. This is the most popular place in the Horton Plains National Park and also a key tourist attraction place in Sri Lanka. You can access this place by the circular road and it’s 4km away from the entrance. If you walk another 2km ahead, you will meet Baker’s Falls.  You can come back to the entrance walking another 3.5km ahead. You can complete the round trip within 3-4 hours leisurely.

It is pointless to visit this place when it is covered with mist. So, it is recommended to visit this place early in the morning (6.00 am-10.00 am) as the location is clearest.

External Links

1. Department of Widlife Conservation – Horton Plains
2. Pollen morphology of endemic species of the Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka