By Vicky · Published Mar. 9th, 2022 · Updated Nov. 29th, 2022
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Walk along the river in lovely Springleaf Nature Park to gorgeous Lower Seletar Reservoir with endless views over the water.
Springleaf & Lower Seletar Reservoir Hiking Map
Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.
Page Contents:
Location
This walk starts from Springleaf MRT station on the brown Thomson East Coast Line, take Exit 1 for this hike. The walk finishes at Khatib MRT station on the red North-South Line.
Tips for Springleaf to Lower Seletar Reservoir
- It’s a lovely hike to do either around sunrise or sunset.
- For more water walks, check out the Marina Bay Walking Trail, or stroll along the Singapore River.
- Check out other great hikes on our Singapore Hiking Page
Thong Soon Green
Take Exit 1 from Springleaf MRT station and after walking straight on between some flowers, turn right before the Shell petrol station to enter Thong Soon Green. There are many palm trees and rain trees along with some nice wooden-look tables and a kids’ playground. Head through Thong Soon Green and left towards the water.
Springleaf Nature Park
Springleaf Nature Park follows Sungei Seletar, the river leading into Lower Seletar Reservoir. The sides of the river are very green and full of huge trees and vegetation. Head left across the first bridge to a viewing deck to look out over the confluence of two streams.
Return back to the same side and continue walking along the edge of the water. You’ll soon come to a bridge that you pass over and continue on Springleaf PCN (Park Connector).
Just before this bridge, we saw a large family of otters crossing the river and clambering up the bank on the other side. They were chirping very noisily. Apparently, they didn’t like the opposite bank and after a few moments of sniffing around, they all piled back into the water and swam away upstream.
Springleaf PCN
This Park Connector leads to the Reservoir. The river is very nice here and there are many birds. There are trees both on the opposite bank of the river and on your right so it feels very quiet and secluded. It’s often not too busy either and there is a calming vibe.
Continue under the large bridge at the end, then head right up some steps to the road. Cross over the road and head down some steps again on the other side, into Lower Seletar Reservoir Park. Look out for the metro trains whizzing by on the other bridge!
Lower Seletar Reservoir
Walk to the water when you enter the park and you’ll have great views across the reservoir to the jungle on the other side. Lower Seletar Reservoir is one of the nicest, most natural reservoirs in Singapore and many birds live here.
Continue hiking left around the edge of the water. Soon you’ll see a jetty sticking out into the water. Lots of people fish from here, and there are some nice benches at the end to sit and relax, though they are not shaded.
Walking through the main section of Lower Seletar Reservoir Park, there are many huge rain trees and tropical palm trees along the edge of the water. There’s a Water Sports Centre for those wanting to rent kayaks and public bathrooms.
Find more Fun Outdoor Activities in Singapore!
- Visit the Domes* at Gardens by the Bay
- See the animals at Singapore Zoo*
- Explore historic Singapore by Bike*
- Cycle around Pulau Ubin*
Heritage Bridge
Almost at the end of the park, you reach Heritage Bridge, not really a bridge but a scenic jetty sticking out into the water. It’s built on stilts to replicate traditional pontoons. At the end of the jetty, there’s a rest area and some shade. There are great views from here and it’s a fabulous place to watch the sun setting over the lake, or alternatively the sunrise.
After admiring the views, head back to the land. Head right, past the allotment gardens and out of the park through the car park. Cross the main road onto Yishun Street 81.
After about 100 metres, as this road bends the corner, head left to walk through an HDB estate. Walk around the car entrance barriers and along the greenery on the other side. When you reach the next main road turn right and then cross the pedestrian bridge to reach Khatib MRT station and the end of this hike.
Camera for Beautiful Sunsets
I’m a big fan of mirrorless cameras with replaceable lenses. I have a Sony NEX 6, which was one of the first mirrorless cameras from Sony back in 2013. Apart from the kit lens that came with the camera and a telezoom lens that I bought for safari, I bought some cheap second-hand but high-quality old lenses from the analogue era from brands like Nikon. With an adapter* you can use these on mirrorless cameras, giving you top quality for cheap. My camera is getting old and I will replace it at some point buy a current model from Sony, like the Sony Alpha A6500:
Sony Alpha A6500 Mirrorless Camera on Amazon*.
Of course, cameras with replaceable lenses and advanced features are not for everyone. We have recently been using a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, which still has some good features and excellent low-light performance, but no replaceable lenses:
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II on Amazon*.
Check out the complete list of hiking gear needed for Singapore:
Want to see more in northwest Singapore? Check out our hiking trails through Marsiling and Admiralty Parks, in Sembawang, or on Coney Island. For other hiking ideas check out our Singapore Hiking page.
FAQs for Springleaf to Lower Seletar Reservoir
To get to Springleaf Nature Park head to the nearest MRT -Springleaf MRT Station on the brown Thompson East Coast Line. Leave via Exit 1, turn right just before Shell petrol station and Springleaf Nature Park is on your left.
Springleaf Nature Park is open 24/7 and lit from 7pm to 7am.
Lower Seletar Reservoir is open 24/7 and lit from 7pm to 7am.
The nearest MRT stop to Lower Seletar Reservoir is Khatib MRT station on the red North-South line. From there it’s an 800-metre walk to the Park.
No, you can only walk around the small section of Lower Seletar Reservoir that is within the Park, about 1.3 km. Around the rest of the Reservoir are private golf courses and forbidden government land.
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