Things to do at Chestnut Nature Park
02 Apr 2016
Chestnut Nature Park (South) is the first nature park in Singapore to have a separate mountain biking (1.6km) and hiking (2.1km) trail. When Chestnut Nature Park (North) is completed in end-2016, Chestnut Nature Park will have 6km and 5km of mountain biking and hiking trails respectively.
Mountain Biking Trail
The 6km mountain biking trail at the fully completed Chestnut Nature Park will consist of varying levels of difficulty ranging from easy, moderately difficult, very difficult and extremely difficult. The 1.6km Chestnut Nature Park (South) mountain biking trail, which forms a loop, consists of sections that are mostly classified as moderately difficult, with one extremely difficult section. Examples of some sections are listed below.
Picture 1: Trail Difficulty Rating System
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Trail Name / Difficulty
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Photo
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Downhill Rush
(moderately difficult)
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Rocky Arc
(moderately difficult)
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 Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Coconut Berms
(moderately difficult)
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Over the Moon
(extremely difficult)
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Signboards with a map of the various biking trails at Chestnut Nature Park (South) as well as tips on biking etiquette, can be found along the biking trail.
Hiking Trail
The 2.1km hiking trail at Chestnut Nature Park (South) is slightly undulating. Along the trail, hikers have the opportunity to spot globally threatened species such as the Straw-headed Bulbul and the Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher, as well as species such as the Banded Woodpecker, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker and Little Spiderhunter. Native trees such as the Braided Chestnut (Castanopsis inermis) and Singapore Walking-Stick Palm (Rhopaloblaste singaporensis) can also be found there.
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Fauna
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Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotuszeylanicus)
Classified as a Globally Threatened species, the Straw-headed Bulbul is found in forests, mangroves and cultivated areas, usually near rivers. This species is the largest of the Southeast Asian Bulbuls, and are more commonly found in Pulau Ubin and Bukit Batok.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher (Rhinomyiasbrunneatus)
Classified as Globally Vulnerable, the Jungle Flycatcher is uncommon in Singapore and is a passage migrant that passes through Sungei Buloh and wooded parks in Oct and Nov.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Banded Woodpecker (Picusminiaceus)
The Banded Woodpecker is an attractive looking bird that is more often heard than seen. It has a loud screeching call that sounds like someone screaming. It can be found both in the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeumtrigonostigma)
The Orange-bellied Flowerpecker is a colourful bird and is common in forested areas.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Little Spiderhunter (Arachnotheralongirostra)
The Little Spiderhunter is the smallest of the three species of Spiderhunters that can be found in Singapore. It can be found in both Bukit Timah and Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Spiny Terrapin (Heosemysspinosa)
The Spiny Terrapin is a small to medium sized tortoise with a rosy brown shell. The terrapin is so named as it has serrations ('spines') along the edges of their shell. These become worn and obscured as the animal grows larger.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Cinnamon Bush Frog (Nyctixaluspictus)
The Cinnamon Bush Frog is a distinctive frog withlong and slender limbs. Its body is usually brown or reddish brown with white or yellowish spots on dorsal surface of body and limbs. A soft "poop" call can be heard by males in the evening.
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Photo Credit: Alex Figueroa
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Flora
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Braided Chestnut (Castanopsis inermis)
Also known locally as Berangan, this primary rainforest tree has a conservation status of Critically Endangered and can grow up to 30m tall with an irregular crown. The fruits are knobby in shape, each containing 1-4 chestnuts, and can be found commonly on the floor of the tropical forest in this region. The seeds are edible.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Jelutong (Dyera costulata)
The Jelutong is a majestic primary rainforest tree that can grow up to 80m tall. Its crown is distinctively tiered when young but becomes more irregular when mature. This emergent tree can be found in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, parts of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Nee Soon Swamp Forest.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Sepetir (Sindora wallichii)
This large tree has a massive crown when matured. This species is widely known as the Changi tree. It has been said that there was a tall and majestic tree at Changi that once stood as a landmark in this area. It was also featured on pre-war navigational charts for over a century. The British cut down this tree in 1942 (during WWII) after they discovered that the Japanese used the tree as a marker to aim their guns.
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Photo Credit: National Parks Board
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Singapore Walking-Stick Palm (Rhopaloblaste singaporensis)
Known for its ornamental foliage, this tree was named after Singapore. It is so named Walking-Stick as the stems are used for making handles and walking sticks.
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Photo Credit: Boo Chih Min
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Shorea leprosula
The Shorea leprosula is a tall tree that can grow up to 60m tall. It is found locally mostly in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Its strong wood is a source of timber and resin.
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Photo Credit: Boo Chih Min
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