Viewpoints · Mirik
Dawn walk round Sumendu Lake
Walk the 3.5 km road round Mirik's lake at first light, under the cedars and across the footbridge, before the day-trip crowds arrive. Watch the town wake up and the monastery roofs catch the sun.
Sumendu Lake was a marsh until 1974, when work began on turning it into a lake for a new hill resort. It opened in 1979. Today a road of about 3.5 km goes round it, with tall Japanese cedars along the shore and a footbridge connecting the bazaar side to Krishnanagar.
Start at the footbridge around 6 am. Walk clockwise, past the Devi Sthan shrine and the garden on the bazaar side, then along the quieter wooded shore. Local walkers, schoolchildren and joggers share the path; ponies wait for later customers.
If you want to go out on the water, the rowing boats start later in the morning. Agree the price and time first, and wear the life jacket.
Cost: Free · boat ₹150–300
Questions people ask
Good to know
How long is the walk around Mirik lake?
About 3.5 km on a mostly level road, which takes 45 minutes to an hour at an easy pace, longer with stops. It suits most ages. Go early in the morning for quiet; by late morning cars and day-trippers fill the lakeside.
How much does boating at Mirik lake cost?
Rowing boats cost roughly ₹150–300 a boat for about 20 minutes, as an indication for 2025–26. Rates vary by season and boat type. Agree the price and duration before you get in and make sure life jackets are provided.
When was Mirik lake made?
Work began in 1974 on a marshy valley floor, and the lake, called Sumendu, was opened in April 1979 as the centre of a new hill resort. The town's hotels at Krishnanagar grew up afterwards on the far shore.
