Mahipatgad

Mahipatgad is a hill fort east of Khed, 23.6 km from the town, and at 120 acres one of the largest forts in Maharashtra. It stands 3,490 ft high at the northern tip of an 8 km spur, parallel to the Western Ghats, that it shares with Sumargad and Rasalgad. The Adil Shahis of Bijapur built it in the 15th century; Shivaji took it in 1661, and it later passed to the Peshwas and, in 1818, to the British.

The flat summit is thickly wooded with jamun and similar trees, home to leopards, wild pigs, mouse deer, porcupines, barking deer and hornbills. Six well-preserved gateways open on every side, with a rock-cut Shiva linga near the Shivganga gate. Inside are temple foundations, the remains of 530 to 850 horse stables and two wells used by trekkers. From Wadi-Beldar, reachable by car, a steep climb takes a little over an hour, and the Pareshwar temple is the only shelter for the night. December and January are the best months.