Sir George Everest's House, Mussoorie
viewpoint · 3.4 km away
waterfall30 min from Mussoorie
Kempty Falls
Kempty Falls, a waterfall of about 40 ft on the Chakrata road, 13.6 km and 30 minutes from Mussoorie, and where its camp-tea name comes from.
What it is
Kempty Falls is a waterfall on the Chakrata road, about 13.6 km and 30 minutes by road from Mussoorie. A stream that runs all year drops about 12 m (40 ft), splitting into cascades as it falls, into a pool at the foot of the rock. Wikipedia credits a British officer, John Mekinan, with developing it as a destination around 1835, and the usual account of the name is that it comes from camp-tea, the stop British travellers made on the road to Chakrata.
Photos: Pinakpani (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Pinakpani (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
It is a drive of about 30 minutes from the centre of Mussoorie, mostly downhill, by taxi or your own car. The falls lie at roughly 1,400 m, well below the town, so the way down to the pool is easy and the climb back up is the part to plan for. Wikipedia mentions a ropeway as well as the track; we have no verified timings or fares for it.
The visit
The falls are a half-day trip from Mussoorie rather than a full one. Go for the water and the pool below it, and for the road down from the ridge. Our May 2024 photograph shows the plunge pool full of bathers, which is the usual picture in the warm months; if you want it quiet, go early on a weekday.
When to go
The stream runs all year, but the monsoon fills it and the dry months thin it. April and May are warm and clear, and the post-monsoon weeks of October are dry and clear. See when to visit Mussoorie.
Around it
Back up the road, Gun Hill and Landour fill a morning, and Sir George Everest's House is on the other side of town. The one-day plan stays in town; the two-day plan gives Kempty its own afternoon.
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Questions people ask
How far is Kempty Falls from Mussoorie?
About 13.6 km and 30 minutes by car on our routing, on the Chakrata road below the town. Wikipedia's Mussoorie article says 15 km and the falls article says 13 km, so treat 13 to 15 km as the range. It is a downhill drive out and a slower climb back.
Where does the name Kempty come from?
The usual account is that it comes from camp-tea. British travellers on the road between Mussoorie and Chakrata stopped here to camp and take tea, and the words ran together. Wikipedia says the name is probably derived that way, so it is a likely origin rather than a documented one.
How high is Kempty Falls?
About 12 m, or 40 ft, according to Wikipedia, and the stream splits into cascades as it drops. That makes it a modest fall rather than a tall one, and the pool at its foot is what draws the crowds. Water volume changes a lot between the dry months and the monsoon.