10 Checkpoints, 11 Park Connectors, 18 Parks, and 36 kilometres. Are you ready to take on the Coast to Coast Trail?
Is Bukit Timah Hill or the Southern Ridges trail too easy for you? Try completing the Coast-to-Coast trail.
The 36-kilometre long coast-to-coast trail is currently the longest trail mapped by NParks, although it pales in comparison to the 3,500-kilometre Appalachian Trail or the 4,260-kilometre Pacific Crest Trail in USA.
With that said, the coast-to-coast trail makes up for it by taking one along some of Singapore’s most scenic parks and watercourses. Aside from the flora and fauna, the trail meanders along several towns, making it a pleasant and idyllic walk for urban hikers.
With 18 parks and 11 park connectors in one continuous route, the coast-to-coast trail became an instant hit among local outdoor enthusiasts when it was first announced in March of 2019.
Taking on the Coast-to-Coast Trail
A total of 10 checkpoint markers can be found along the major parks:
CP 1: Jurong Lake Gardens
CP 2: Bukit Batok Nature Park
CP 3: Hindhede Drive (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve)
CP 4: Adam Road (Adam Food Centre)
CP 5: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
CP 6: Luxus Hills Park
CP 7: Sengkang Floating Wetland
CP 8: Punggol Waterway Park
CP 9: Coney Island Park
CP 10: Lower Seletar Reservoir Park (Rower’s Bay Park)
Depending on your level of fitness, you may choose to complete the coast-to-coast trail in one to three day.
One-Day Hike
Hikers are advised to start their hike early — preferably between 6 to 8am — to ensure completion of the trail by nightfall. As an estimation, it takes approximately 11hours including lunch and rest breaks to complete the 36-kilometer journey.
To complete the trail in a single day is no easy feat, hence it is suggested to do it in a two or three day hike instead.
You may be interested in: The Ultimate Guide to the Southern Ridges
Two-Day Hike
For the less experienced, opt to do the coast-to-coast trail in two days. The two day hike offers ample time for hikers to explore attractions along the way such as the Hindhede Quarry at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Learning Forest at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
For a two day hike, start at Jurong Lake Garden and end your first day at MacRitchie Reservoir. Continue the hike on the second day from MacRitchie Reservoir to Punggol Point Park or Rower’s Bay Park.
Three-Day Hike
If long distance walking is not your thing, consider splitting the trail into three days.
The first day stretches from Jurong Lake Garden to Adam Road. Start your second day at Adam Road and end at Sengkang Wetland. End the coast to coast journey on the third day with a hike from Sengkang Wetland to Coney Island Park before making a detour to the last checkpoint, Lower Seletar Reservoir Park.
Coast to Coast Mobile App
The Coast-to-Coast mobile application was developed by NParks to offer an interactive hiking experience for hikers taking on the trail. Besides offering real-time navigation, one can check-in at the 10 checkpoint markers scattered across the trail to record their attendance and rack up points to redeem rewards.
The mobile app also features augmented reality, allowing users to learn more about the park’s native flora and fauna through 3D-animated characters.
A community wall can also be found in the app for hikers to share photos of their journey.
Users of the mobile app will also be notified of any updates to the trail as well as exclusive promotions offered by participating retail and F&B tenants located in the different parks.
The app is available on App Store and Google Play Store.
Tips to Complete the Coast-to-Coast Trail
Start early
It is always better to start early than to end late. Factor in at least an hour of buffer time for meals and breaks. Alternatively, you can opt for a midnight hike to avoid the sweltering heat in the day!
Pack Light
As the trail cuts diagonally across Singapore, there are plenty of dining spots and rest point along the way. This includes Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, Adam Road Food Centre, MacRitchie Reservoir Park, and Waterway Point to name a few.
Get covered
Ensure that you are well covered as you will be exposed to the sun for at least half the journey. Consider bring along sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, umbrella and arm sleeves.
Be prepared
Do the necessary training before taking on the 36-kilometre trail. For consideration, you should be able to walk 4km/hour for at least 9 hours in a day. Note that the trail will be longer than expected, with many hikers suggesting that Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 9 alone will cover 36 kilometres.
Don’t Get Lost
The last thing you want to do is to walk extra kilometres. While signs are scattered along the trail, they are far and few. So do download the mobile app as well as the Coast-to-Coast Trail Guide (PDF) for navigation.
Stay Updated
Check out NParks Coast-to-Coast page to keep updated for any road closures and activities.
