Running Routes: Rifle Range Road

I mentioned Rifle Range Road in Running Routes: Buona Vista Loop.

Rifle Range Road is a rather special road for runners (and cyclists). If you look up Rifle Range Road in the street directory, you will see that it ends in a cul-de-sac.

In actual fact, the end of the road leads directly into the western end of Macritchie Reservoir Park. Hence, from the end of Rifle Range Road, it is possible to access the numerous trails within Macritchie Reservoir Park and reach, among many other places, the HSBC Treetop Walk, Jelutong Tower, the famous zig-zag bridge, and the Thomson area east of Macritchie Reservoir.

I won't say anything further about these trails as there is ample information available out there on Macritchie Reservoir Park and I am certain the area is also familiar to many runners. In addition, Rifle Range Road is a single road without junctions or turn-offs, so there is no possibility of getting lost. I have some notes though, that may be interest to runners.

Notes:

There are some small off-road trails such as the Kampung Trail and Durian Loop in the copse off Rifle Range Road. These are small, insignificant local trails that eventually lead to Jalan Kampung Chantek just in front of Murnane Service Reservoir.

These trails are not worth bothering with unless you are hunting for wild durians, rambutans, longans and the odd wild jackfruit or chempedak.

You will pass by two army camps along Rifle Range Road as well as go along a flyover. You will see the company "Advanced Materials Engineering" at the end of the road.

You may see monkeys. As always, don't feed them. Doing so will encourage aggressive behaviour.

The road is steep in some sections, so be prepared for some hill work.

You may catch sight of a dirt trail leading around the perimeter of Murnane Reservoir and then trailing off into the woods just off Rifle Range Road. This leads to a narrow strip of clearing that runs between the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the BKE. Very close by is the Belukar Track and further north, the Chestnut Track of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve [More in a future post].

In addition, as mentioned in Running Routes: Buona Vista Loop, Rifle Range Link just off Rifle Range Road (nearer the Dunearn Road end) allows access to the heart of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.