Tom Rifle Range Nature Park was the latest Singapore park that we visited this time. With easy access from Beauty World MRT as well as a platform (Colugo Deck) that overlooks the Quarry Wetland, it is a great addition to the national parks in Singapore. Let’s check it out!
About Rifle Range Nature Park
Nestled alongside Rifle Range Road, to the southern expanse of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Rifle Range Nature Park sprawls across 66 hectares, acting as a lush shield safeguarding the nature reserve from external impacts and urban developments. Not only does the park foster ecological connections, but it also provides complementary habitats for the diverse wildlife found in the Nature Reserve.
Distinguished as Singapore’s first net positive energy nature park, Rifle Range Nature Park taps into solar energy through strategically placed solar panels, surpassing the projected annual operational energy needs of the site.
Discover the park through an intricate network of boardwalks and trails, each offering a distinct experience. Key attractions include:
Gliders Boardwalk (~411 m): This elevated boardwalk, connecting the Visitor Pavilion to the Quarry Wetland, serves as an accessible pathway. Offering a unique viewpoint above Rifle Range Road, it incorporates animal-friendly elements like rope bridges and colugo poles, ensuring a secure passage for wildlife such as the Long-tailed Macaque and Sunda Colugo.
Forest Exploration Trail (~113 m): A play area where logs and boulders provide a tactile connection with nature, encouraging children to enhance their balancing skills amid natural surroundings.
Rambai Boardwalk (~535 m): This boardwalk features interpretive signage, guiding visitors through the rich history of Rifle Range Nature Park, once home to the Singapore Gun Club and Sin Seng Quarry.
Colugo Trail (~582 m): Ascend the Colugo Trail to reach Colugo Deck, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the surroundings, situated 31 meters above the Quarry Wetland.
Banyan (~647 m) and Gaharu Trail (~842 m): For those seeking a more rustic hiking experience, the Banyan and Gaharu Trails begin at the Gaharu Entrance on Jalan Kampong Chantek, allowing visitors to traverse beneath the canopy of Banyan trees and pause to appreciate a serene stream along the Banyan Trail.
Delight in the features of the transformed Quarry Wetland, providing habitats for various wetland creatures, including the Scarlet Skimmer and Common Kingfisher. The Colugo Deck is artistically inspired by the flight of the Sunda Colugo.
At the Waterhen Hide, visitors can closely observe wetland birds such as the Yellow Bittern and five species of kingfishers against the backdrop of the Quarry Wetland.
Access the nature park through six entrances along Rifle Range Road, Upper Bukit Timah Road, Hindhede Drive, Jalan Kampong Chantek, and the Rail Corridor.
Our Visit to Rifle Range Nature Park
Our visit to Rifle Range Nature Park started at the Senapang Entrance. It is a visitor centre of sorts where you can see the map of the entire Rifle Range Nature Park, fill up your bottle via a water cooler and use the toilets there if you need to. The cool thing about visiting Rifle Range Nature Park is its ease of access. You can park right at the Senapang Entrance (opens daily from 7am to 7pm – parking fees required) or you can just take a MRT to Beauty World MRT Station, take exit A and head up to level 4 of Beauty World – cross the bridge and you’ll arrive at Rifle Range Nature Park.
The other cool thing about visiting Rifle Range Nature Park is that it actually connects to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve as well as the Rail Corridor. If you want to have a full day out interaction with nature outdoors, Rifle Range Nature Park seems to be a good springboard to do so.
This time, our main objective was to ascend up to Colugo Deck (which has been featured on many instagram posts), take in the views and just enjoy the walk along the newly constructed boardwalk…
The walk itself along the boardwalk was leisurely and relaxed. The path was wide and you’ll be able to catch beautiful views of nature and of the quarry enroute…
There are several photo points at Quarry Wetland. You’ll be able to see Colugo Deck at the top of quarry and also enjoy views of the waters. At 31m, the height of Colugo Deck also indicates that you will need to climb some stairs to reach there. We’d rate this climb probably in the easy-moderate range.
After leaving Quarry Wetland, you’ll come to the end of the boardwalk where you realise that the climb begins. There are 2 options. The shorter but more challenging route brings you up some pretty steep boulders while the longer but moderate route brings you through a gentle slope was some well-built stairs to climb. Of course we chose the latter! 😝
Arriving at Colugo Deck Rifle Range Nature Park
There’s a restriction of not more than 20 people allowed on Colugo Deck itself. Hence, if you find the deck to be too crowded, just take a seat and wait for other visitors to finish their photos and selfies. It is afterall, an overhanging deck. So it’s always best to just follow the instructions from NParks.
From Colugo deck, we were able to enjoy the serenity of the Quarry Wetlands and we even took an artsy shot of the reflective waters (see above). There is also an expansive views out to the architectures afar. The posters there help visitors identify the buildings that you’d be looking at…
These were pretty amazing views and you can enjoy the fresh morning air from atop the Colugo Deck as well. On the return back down, we tried the “Challenging Route” this time and it was indeed not for the elderly or kids. You’d require some great balance, be able to perch yourself on 3 limbs several times (sometimes 4). So if you’re not someone who is considered “active”, we’d recommend taking the “moderate route”.
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All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed Rifle Range Nature Park. With its ease of access and accessibility to many other parks such as Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, we’d probably consider coming back to Rifle Range Nature Park several times over in the future. If you have visited Rifle Range Nature Park, let our readers know more in the comments section below!
