Guide to Chestnut Nature Park On Hiking or Cycling Trail, Directions and Nearby Food
If you have conquered most of the easy hiking trails in Singapore, it might be the time for you to tackle Singapore’s largest nature park which is the Chestnut Nature Park, with this 81-hectare park which stretches from Bukit Panjang to Bukit Timah it holds both hiking and biking trail with great scenery and bird watching activities here in nature. Located just at the edge of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, this park is full of a wide range of native flora and fauna which will keep you on the lookout while you enjoying your activities here.
There are 3 dedicated hiking trails in Chestnut Nature Park which is normally referred to as a loop, which is separated from different difficulty levels. So here is the 3 different trails available:
Nature Trail which starts at Chestnut Ave and it will take around 30 minutes and 1.5km to complete. This trail has slight uneven trails and an unpaved dirt section which will be a bit of a challenge to your younger kids but it is still possible. You will be able to spot some abandoned kampong style house and buildings scattered along this trail here for you to enjoy and even sit by the stream to enjoy the rush from this water stream.
Northern Trail which also starts at Chestnut Ave with a longer time around a 40-50 minutes hike towards the Zhenghua Nature Park and covering the range of 2km. Where you can find a mixture of smooth pavement and dirt part here. And lastly, you will find the lookout point of Chestnut Tower which will give you a view of the scenery above all.
Southern Trail is the longest trail available here with 2.1km in range and it will take around 45-50 minutes to complete. You will start at Chestnut Drive, following the southern half of the park if you like a bit of challenge and you will find trails covered with granite boulders and hills along the way which is also known as a rocky trail. Eventually, you will find a huge open field which is great for photo shooting at the end of this trail.
Mountain Biking is also a favorite spot in Chestnut Nature Park, where you can find few designated mountain biking trails here and covering the different levels of difficulty. Where beginner can try out the TenderFoot trail, while a novice can try out the Grasshopper and Slider trail instead.
The only washroom available at Chestnut Point is located next to the carpark at Chestnut Drive, as there will be no other toilet within the park itself, however, if it rains during your hiking process, you don’t need to panic as there are several huts available along each trail that are visible on the maps of the park. Plus, trail markers are available along each path with 100m apart, so that you can keep track of the distance and trail you have traveled.
Food is available nearby Chestnut Nature Park so in case you just want to grab some light food before your hiking begins or after your hiking adventure. You can check out this food at:
Bukit Panjang
- Ichikokudo (Hillion Mall #01-01/02)
- Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles (Hillion Mall #01-07)
- The Soup Spoon Union (Hillion Mall #01-05/06)
Bukit Timah
- Time for Thai (15 Cheong Chin Nam Rd)
- Al-Azhar (11/12 Cheong Chin Nam Rd)
- Springleaf Prata Place (396 Upper Bukit Timah Rd)
In order to get to Chestnut Nature Park, you can find the entrance to the park by entering Chestnut Ave or Chestnut Drive into your GPS which you will come to a small carpark along Chestnut Drive and if you are planning to reach here via public transport then you can:
- Travel to Bukit Panjang MRT station on the Downtown line
- Take bus 171 from ‘Bt Panjang Stn Exit A/LRT’ to ‘Blk 270’ (4 stops)
- Walk 15-20 minutes from the bus stop to the entrance of Chestnut Nature Park
Opening hours: Open daily; 7AM – 7PM