Bible Rock (Batalegala): A Hiker's Guide
about 8 km round trip · Moderate · 3-4 hours · Kegalle District · Sabaragamuwa Province
Bible Rock, known locally as Batalegala, is the flat-topped rock you can see from the Colombo-Kandy road near Kadugannawa. It takes its English name from its shape, a book resting open on a lectern. At 670 m it is not high, but the final scramble and the all-round view make it one of the best half-day hikes between Colombo and Kandy.
What you’ll walk through
The approach runs from Kegalle through Mawanella and Gavilpitiya to Hathgampola. The path climbs through village land and forest to the foot of the rock. The last stretch, about 500 m, crosses bare rock with cut steps and a wire handrail, and takes around half an hour. The summit plateau looks out over the Alagalla range and the surrounding hills.
Hold the handrail on the final section, and do not climb it in rain.
Access & permits
We found no permit requirement or fee.
On the map
Pin 1 is Bible Rock. The others are the nearest places in our trail directory.
- Bible Rock: The flat-topped rock near Kadugannawa.
- Alagalla: The range above Kadugannawa. About 13 km away.
- Ambuluwawa: The tower above Gampola. About 13 km away.
- Hanthana: The range above the Ceylon Tea Museum, Kandy. About 24 km away.
Key landmarks & features
- Hathgampola - The village approach from Gavilpitiya.
- Wire-railed steps - The final rocky section to the summit plateau.
- Summit plateau - The flat top that gives the rock its book-on-a-lectern shape.
- Alagalla range - Visible from the top.
When to go
A dry morning. The final rock section is slippery when wet.
Recent trail reports on AllTrails (external site; reviews are written by AllTrails users, not Hike Lanka).
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