Lose yourself in these ancient hills, which take their name from the Ranganathaswamy Temple that sits at the edge of a granite precipice with a drop of more than a 1000 ft into a dense forest. Find inner peace at the foot of the great champak tree, believed to be more than 2000 ears old and worshipped by the Soligas, the tribals of that area. Don't miss the coffee estates, the tribal hamlets and the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, which has preserved tribal information and the biodiversity of the region. For trekkers there are many trails including one up to Honnamari, the highest point.

Bilgiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary is unique in that it is situated at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats , and has flora and fauna from both regions. It is located in Chamarajnagar District. Altitude varies from about 750 to 1816m, the highest point being Kattari Betts in the southern part of sanctuary. Temperatures range from a cool 8°C to 36°C.

The sanctuary has a great variety of vegetation ranging from dry scrub jungle to evergreen forests and high altitude shola grassland habitat.

There is a good population of elephant in and around the sanctuary. Other mammals include tiger, leopard, wild dog, jungle cat, sloth bear, civets, mongooses, Malabar giant squirrel, giant flying squirrel, porcupine, common langur, bonnet macaque, wild pig, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, four horned antelope and even some black buck on the periphery of the sanctuary.