Conquering the TreeTop Walk at the McRitchie Nature Park

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of trekking the TreeTop Walk at MacRitchie Nature Park. It took me more than three hours to complete, but it was absolutely worth the experience. I had been planning this for weeks, so I was thrilled to finally make it happen.

In this post, I’ll share the photos I took and the highlights of my experience trekking through this beautiful nature park.

I spent three weeks preparing for this trek, considering the difficulty level of the terrain. I read blogs and watched videos about it, and the general consensus was that it’s not just a casual walk in the park. This is especially true for first-timers or for someone like me who isn’t used to long walks on rough terrain.

My preparations included long walks along the street, jogging, and even squats, as I knew there would be uphill sections and steps to climb—hence the name TreeTop Walk, right?

Let's start!

I arrived at the starting point around 12:00 noon, which might seem like an awkward time to start the trek, right? For some, yes—but for me, it made sense. Earlier times tend to be more crowded, and that’s not something I’d enjoy.

I find that trekking in a crowd puts pressure on me since I might feel the need to keep up with others, which I don’t want. Plus, I like to take my time observing my surroundings and capturing photos along the way, which definitely takes time.

From this starting point, I needed to trek about 4.3 km to reach the hanging bridge of the TreeTop Walk—and that was only halfway through the trek. Once I crossed the bridge, there was no way to turn back since it’s a one-way path. And there’s no cheating either, as rangers are stationed there to manage the flow of trekkers.

The beginning of the trek felt easy—I guess my preparation paid off, and I was feeling pretty confident. A few trekkers passed me every so often. They seemed to have done this many times before, and I figured they were probably locals since they were so focused on their trek, barely paying attention to the nature around them.

I, on the other hand, was curious and observant, taking in everything around me. I found myself examining the plants, trees, insects, fungi—basically anything that moved or rustled the trees around me!😂

My first find was this fungus 🍄‍🟫—pretty cool, if you ask me. I was hoping to spot some exotic ones with vibrant colors that looked poisonous, but I guess the rangers remove them to prevent people from accidentally foraging toxic mushrooms 🍄.

Reaching the 0.50KM marker!

Reaching the half-kilometer marker was fairly easy since the terrain was relatively flat and well-leveled. I’d like to think it was intentionally designed this way to boost the morale of beginners like me! 😁

The 1KM marker!

Once again, reaching the next marker felt easy enough, and I was still excited to keep going. But hey, maybe this is all part of a clever strategy to encourage people to reach the top, right?

After passing the marker, I came across another cluster of fungi. This one looked quite disturbing because of the way it grew from the dead trunk.

Right after this find, I didn’t come across any more fungi along the trail. It was probably because the rangers had already cleared them out, or maybe this area just doesn’t have the right conditions for them to grow. Another possibility is that the more exotic ones are hidden deep in the jungle.

There are sections along the trail that can be quite distracting—but thankfully, I didn’t fall for them. I’m talking about the extra trails that adventurous trekkers might be tempted to take. These detours would use up my time and energy, and if I wandered over to the Prunus and Petai boardwalk, I might lose focus and end up not completing the trek.

I pressed on and stuck to my trail. Spending 25 minutes on a 1 km stretch felt a bit slow, so I picked up the pace. I realized that too much observation and photo-taking could easily turn this trek into a half-day activity! 😂 So, at this point, I decided to walk faster and cut back on the sightseeing.

I came across another distraction—a strange setup. A set of steps leading to nowhere, with no sign to explain it? Hmm… 🤔 I think I’ll pass! 😄

Before reaching the next marker, I noticed several small rock towers carefully stacked along the trail. It seems like some visitors had fun creating their own markers. I found these rock formations quite interesting—they made for great photos too! 😁

I made it to the 1.5KM marker!

At this point, I still felt energetic and excited about reaching the top. The trail was relatively smooth, though there were a few sharp stones that made me question my choice of footwear. Even though I was wearing running shoes, the soles weren’t tough enough—I could feel the rough stones with every step. But that was just a minor issue, so I kept going.

I also noticed that after the 1.5 km marker, there were resting huts—likely for those starting to feel exhausted at this point. I never stopped to rest in them, though, as I figured it would only slow me down even more.

The 2KM marker is missing?

This has to be the 2 km marker, right? It certainly looks like it—though it has rotted away and hasn’t been replaced yet.

By this point, I was already feeling the exhaustion. The terrain was becoming more undulating, and the growing roots along the trail felt slippery underfoot. I noticed myself slowing down from here onward.

The highlight of this section was spotting a giant millipede resting on the trunk of a massive tree. It was amazing—I had never seen one this big before!

The 2.5KM marker!

This was the part of the trail where I became fully focused on my footing. With too many sharp stones, slippery tree roots, and countless steps, every step felt like a risk.

Forgot to take photo of the 3KM marker 😂

Either I missed it, or it was missing like the 2 km marker. Maybe I was so focused on the trail that I didn’t notice the marker until I reached the next one.

The 3.5KM marker!

At this point, regret started to kick in. It was too late to turn back since there was less than 1.5 km left before reaching the TreeTop Bridge, but I was already feeling soreness in my left ankle. Lesson learned—next time, I need to wear proper trekking shoes with sturdy soles for a hike like this.

Before reaching the TreeTop Bridge, there’s a junction that gives you the option to bail. Here, you can either continue to the bridge or head to the nearest amenity, where you can catch a bus home or travel elsewhere in the city.

Of course, I chose to keep going to the TreeTop!

About 500 meters before reaching the TreeTop Bridge, there’s a ranger station where you can use a public toilet and refill your water. The reason for having a station here is that once you cross the bridge, there’s still another 3+ km of walking before the next amenity. This makes it a crucial stop before continuing the trek.

And then comes the section where another challenge awaits anyone continuing the trek. At this point, I noticed some visitors starting to whine—understandably so, as this was the beginning of the climb up a ramp leading to the TreeTop Bridge. You could consider this the final boss of the uphill trek… or is it really?

I didn’t take any photos during this uphill trek, as I was completely focused on reaching the top. At one point, I started walking backward because the strain on my shins and calves was getting intense. Walking uphill backward felt a bit more comfortable, but it was much slower, so I quickly switched back to walking forward.

And then, I finally reached the entrance of the TreeTop Bridge!

And then another set of timber steps down?

I found that it's the correct way and so here it is, the gate!

I recorded a video while crossing the hanging bridge, and there were a few things that made the experience a bit uncomfortable—or even a little scary. First, the bridge was slightly shaky. Then, as I looked down and realized how high I was, my heart started pounding hard! 😂 And to top it off, there were monkeys hanging out on the ropes. I wasn’t entirely sure if they were friendly or if they’d get aggressive, especially since the bridge was so narrow, and they were just inches from my face! 😁

https://youtube.com/shorts/wr-feMFBlSA?si=GArPREwBegZq2c49

All of that discomfort faded as soon as I took in the breathtaking view from both sides of the bridge. It was overwhelming—absolutely amazing!

And then here's how the exit look like, more stairs!

Completing the TreeTop Walk was both challenging and rewarding, pushing me beyond my limits while offering breathtaking views and unforgettable moments. Despite the exhaustion and unexpected obstacles, the sense of accomplishment made every step worth it. This trek reminded me that sometimes, the best experiences come from embracing the journey—no matter how tough the climb.