Dehradun is blessed with many rivers flowing through the city and on its periphery. These rivers (both small and large) almost all originate from the mountains that surround this beautiful and enchanting doon valley.
Makreti Gaon. this is the first village where the Rispana River enters the Doon Valley. Shikhar Falls is hidden amidst these lush green forests
A quick drive from the city centre will take you closer to these rivers (in its cleanest form) with lush green forests and mountains standing right next to you. In this blog, we discover a short trek to Shikhar Falls that drains the waters of the RISPANA river.
A brief on the RISPANA River that emerges above the Shikhar Falls
Rispana River rises from a hill spring near the Mussoorie Ridge. It follows a steep descent entering the doon valley at Makreti Gaon, further navigates through the outer boundary of the Rajpur village and eventually enters the heart of the Dehradun city. It eventually merges with the ‘Bindal Rao’ at Mothrowala and then onwards, is known by the name of Suswa River. Suswa drains the waters of these small river bodies and the bigger Song river and eventually merges with the Ganga River near Nepali Farm.
An Illustrative Map of the Shikhar Falls and Rispana River
500 metres below Shikhar Falls, Rispana river enters the Doon valley
Why should one visit Shikhar Waterfalls?
- You wish to do a quick trek along a river / falls
- You admire lush green forests and are enchanted by the chirping of the birds
- You can’t do away with mountains and want them to be closer to you
- Looking for a short getaway around Dehradun but away from the hustle-bustle of the city
- You need a quiet place where you just want to sit and relax, click few pictures, have chai-maggi
- A place where you can go and come back to your base in 2-3 hours (from Dehradun city centre)
If this resonates with you, I highly recommend you consider this experience.
How do we reach Shikhar Waterfalls?
Kali Mata Mandir – this is where the trek starts . this is located about 200 metres ahead of Shahanshahi Ashram 
The path on the left goes towards Jharipani and onwards to Mussoorie. the path on the right leads to Shikhar Falls
The table below summarizes the step-by-step route that will lead you to Shikhar Falls.
| S.No. | Type | From – To | Distance / Time taken |
| 1 | Drive | Clock Tower – Rajpur Village | 9 kms / 20 mins drive |
| 2 | Drive | Rajpur Village – Shahanshahi Ashram (near Haathi Chai Shop) | 3 kms / 8 mins drive |
| 3 | Walk (Cemented path) | Shahanshahi Ashram – Makreti Gaon | 700m / 10-15 minutes |
| 4 | Easy trek (well laid out mud path) | Makreti Gaon – Shikhar Waterfalls | 500m / 10-15 minutes |
This river provides water supply to Dehradun (carried through these Iron pipes) 
The trek to Shikhar falls is of an easy grade
From Shahanshahi Ashram to Shikhar Waterfalls you will find numerous small eateries along the pathway. It is a popular place among the locals especially during the weekends/holidays. Some people even arrive until Shahanshahi / Makreti Gaon on bicycles and then take the final push (trek) to Shikhar falls.
Shikhar Falls (1/3) 
Shikhar Falls (2/3) 
Shikhar Falls (3/3)
The waters of Rispana river will accompany you all the way from Makreti Gaon until you arrive at the falls. The enchanting sound of the waters and the chirping of the birds with lush green forests all around, will certainly give you a very positive vibe. Imagine, you get all this so close to a city.
What is the best time to visit this place?
In my opinion, one can visit this place at any time of the year. In the June-September period, the lush green forests will surely look more amazing plus the river is full of water owing to the monsoons. However, every season will have something or the other unique aspect to offer.
Upon return to the start point you are greeted by an amazing view of the vast Doon valley. Shahanshahi Ashram is also visible on the left
Travel diaries from Uttarakhand 