The western slope of the hill sits astride the Kerala/Tamil Nadu border. It has many cliffs ranging from 500 m to 2,500 m. Part of Mukurthi is situated within Malappuram district, which is the third-highest point in Kerala, after Anaimudi (2,696 m) and Meeshapulimala (2,651 m). The peak can only be accessed through Nilgiri district. The Mukurthi peak is said to resemble a "pointed nose."
Pichalbetta (2,544 m) and Nilgiri hill are the most prominent peaks adjacent to this area, and Mukurthi Dam is also nearby.
Surroundings
Many streams drain into Bhavani River. Among the peaks inside the National Park, the highest are Kolaribetta (2,630m), together with Mukurthi Peak (2,556m) and Nilgiri Peak (2,477m. Southwest of Mukurthi lies Silent Valley National Park, and to its west the land falls steeply to 2,000 m in the Amarabalam Forest.
The area under monoculture forestry in Mukurthi is comparatively less than Nilgiris district, and consists mainly of Acacia mearnsii, Eucalyptusglobulus and Pinus patula. The vegetation is either Southern Montane Wet Temperate Forest (shola), grassland and plantation. Pristine shola patches can be seen throughout the park, generally at the heads of streams in the folds of converging slopes. These forests support a variety of flora and fauna. This IBA site is among the richest regions of plant biodiversity, with many endemic orchids and other plant groups. Grasslands in Mukurthi are common and form a mosaic with shola. They are a mixture of Chrysopogon, Ischaemum, Dicanthium, Andropogon, Eragrostis and Panicum species. The ecological status of these grasslands is debated.[4]