Are you a hiking enthusiast? Can your legs barely carry you for distances longer than two kilometers? Whatever your ability, the Central Catchment Nature Reserve is worth exploring for you! This nature reserve is the largest green spot in Singapore, named as the ‘Green Lung’ at the heart of our small country. It’s also responsible for some of the longest and most relaxing hiking trails in Singapore.
In this detailed guide, we’ll go over the many parks that make up and border the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, making it an excellent location for repeated visits. If you’re a nature lover, this is the place to be!
MacRitchie Reservoir Park
MacRitchie Reservoir Park is one of the most popular parks in Singapore, and for good reason! The view of MacRitchie Reservoir is excellently soothing, and this park acts as a starting point for many of the trails and nature walks that network the entire nature reserve. If you’re looking for a good, long hike, MacRitchie Reservoir Park is an excellent place to start! Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself deep in the rainforest, halfway to another destination.
Aside from overwhelming greenery, the park is also home to a whole host of native animals like squirrels, monitor lizards and monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled as you wander the trails, and you might just find something!
Windsor Nature Park
Cool marshlands, wooden boardwalks and freshwater streams make up the serene beauty of Windsor Nature Park. Located on the north eastern corner of the Central area, Windsor is also connected to the rest of the nature reserve via boardwalks and earthen trails. However, it also contains a few attractions of its own.
These include the Hanguana trail for specially curated native plants; the Venus Loop for getting your shoes on the soil; and the Drongo Trail for the opportunity for a close up look at the fauna that populate the forest.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
A very special bridge connects the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, called the Eco-Link@BKE! It spans over the Bukit Timah Expressway, and acts as a very important nature bridge for the wildlife to cross and expand their living spaces.
Aside from that, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a whole attraction of its own. Learn the history of the oldest nature reserve in Singapore at their visitor’s centre. Explore unique forests of enormous dipterocarp not found anywhere else in Singapore. Maybe get some exercise and conquer Bukit Timah Hill, the tallest hill in the country!
Upper and Lower Peirce Reservoir Park
Set a small distance apart from the rest of the Central area, Lower Peirce Reservoir services two small parks worth a short visit!
The smaller cousin, Upper Peirce, offers one primary attraction: a stunning view of the serene reservoir waters. I highly recommend you visit during the morning or evening hours, when the soothing orange glow breaks on the rippling freshwater. While there isn’t as much space for exploration, there are benches and open spaces for you to sit down and just enjoy being surrounded by nature.
While Lower Peirce offers the same stunning views, it also has a 900 metre boardwalk that walks you through the flora that borders the water’s edge. You’ll be able to see lots of fantastic flora and fauna, including many rubber trees and oil palm that call back to Singapore’s past as a country of plantations.
Drop A Visit!
There’s a lot to explore, and much more detailed walks through each individual park. Again, no matter your physical ability, each of these parks definitely has something worth seeing and doing. So get your feet working and visit one today!
