Kodachadri is a mountain peak with dense forests (elevation - 1,343 metres above sea level)[2] in the Western Ghats in South India (Shivamogga District, Karnataka), 78 km from Shimoga.

[6] Situated in the middle of the Mookambika National Park and considered as a biodiversity hotspot,[5] it is home to several endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna.

[citation needed] A temple dedicated to the Ancient Mother Goddess Mookambika is located near the top of the peak.

The temple is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims and it is said to stand where thousands of years ago Mookambika fought and killed the demon Mookasura.

In Historic times, people used to trek from Nagara state, a nearby place and Europeans trekked to the peak during the 19th century.

Lewin Bentham Bowring, who served as Commissioner of Mysore between 1862 and 1870, records that Kodachadri is "clothed with splendid forests, and the ascent is very steep indeed in one place near foot....The view from the top of the hill, which has a bluff appearance from the distance, though it is as sharp as a knife in reality, is very fine, commanding a long stretch of great Ghat range, a considerable portion of Canara (Kanara), and a wide view over Malnad".

[10] Kodachadri hill contains iron ore in its soil[11] and test digging was also done here during the 20th century and it was identified that the stones found here have magnetic properties.

[13] In such anti-mining protests, local people under the leadership of Shri Raghaveshwara Bharathi of Ramachandrapura Mutt, Shivamogga district and environmentalist Ananth Hegde Ashisara demanded ban on all mining activities in Ambaragudda, which is near Kodachadri and other hills of the area.

[14] which was visited by Adi Shankara during his long spiritual journey, where he defeated other scholars in philosophical debate and opened the southern door of the temple.

Another temple is located near travellers' bungalow and is believed to be the moola sthana (the origin) of Sri Mookambika Devi.

Just below the peak, an almost vertical path leads to a small cave called Chitramoola, from where the Mookambika temple of Kollur, is visible.

[18] One more waterfalls called Belakallu theertha is located near Mudur, Jadkal (and 15 km from Kollur) and at the bottom of Kodachadri on southern side and involves easy trekking to reach.

Motorcycle riding on this highly uneven, steep, mud track with sharp hairpin curves with gradients, may be challenging and risky.