The forest trails of Kota Damansara forest are our pride and joy. They have been carefully designed and painstakingly constructed over many years by volunteers and Temuan Orang Asli in close consultation with the Selangor Forestry Department.
So far, a total of 14 km of trails have been constructed in phases beginning with the Petaling Trail and Scouts Trail, followed by the Temuan Trail, Harmoni Trail, Sahabat Trail, and the Unity Trail which joined the access trails from the Section 9 forest entrance to the trails from Section 10. In 2017, the Serenity Trail and Salleh Trail were added to the network. The abovementioned trails are all built according to International Mountain Biking Association standards. The 3.5 km hiking loop (the Unity Peak and Denai Tiga Puteri trails) allows visitors to enjoy a panoramic view from the highest part of the Forest Reserve.
You can download an image of the trail map here.
Our objective in creating these low impact trails is to enable people to experience the beauty and serenity of this remnant lowland forest while respecting the living forest environment. By encouraging forest users to stay on well-managed forest trails we seek to manage visitor impact to the forest, ensuring that it remains rich and vibrant for generations to come.
Since the establishment of KDCF Society in 2011, the forest trail network has extended steadily as the result of our close collaboration with the Trails Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (TRAKS) and the Selangor Forestry Department. Our sister organization MyChangkul was established to manage all trailwork at KDCFR.
MyChangkul coordinates the weekly trail maintenance carried out by our dedicated Temuan Team. Through MyChangkul we are also able to provide capacity building beyond KDCFR to build new forest trails and to teach these skills to other groups. This work has received support from several sponsors and we gratefully acknowledge their contributions. Our members and the general public have also contribute to the annual trail maintenance fund. Read more about Our Supporters.
Getting to know the KDCF Trails
With the exception of the Petaling Trail, the Denai Tiga Puteri and Unity Peak trails, and Sipew’s Ethnobotanical Garden, all the KDCF Trails are multiple-use trails suitable for mountain bikers as well as hikers. There are wooden hand-carved signs by Temuan craftsmen along the trails to help assure you that you are on the right track.
If you are new to the trails, it is advisable to familiarise yourself with the trail network by going on a guided walk or taking the opportunity to follow other forest users. Be sure to visit our Facebook page and Facebook group for updates of trails under maintenance and those temporarily blocked by fallen trees. You can use MyChangkul’s online booking platform to engage a Temuan guide for a guided walk.
Petaling Trail – This is a walking trail originally built for environmental education by Malaysian Nature Society. It circles the lake and is suitable for children and all fitness levels. This is an easy walk of 25 mins. The coded boards along the trail and provide a link to an environmental education information which can be downloaded here.
Scouts’ Trail – This is an easy walk of 30–45 mins depending on your pace. It is suitable for first-time visitors to the forest, and those that do not have time for a longer walk.
Temuan Trail – This is an additional 2 km loop from the Scouts’ Trail. Add this to the Scouts’ Trail walk for a combined 4 km or a hike of 60–80 mins depending on your level of fitness. There is a picnic stop with benches mid-way along this trail.
Sahabat Trail – This is an additional 2 km loop stacked on top of the Temuan Trail (for a total 6 km). This is a single trail which leads to a small loop and you need to return to the Temuan trail the same way that you came in. A full 6 km walk takes 90–120 mins.
Unity Trail – This 2 km trail strategically links the entire trail network by joining the Harmoni Trail and the Sahabat Trail. It is now possible to trek from Section 10 to Section 9 under the forest canopy.
Harmoni Trail – This is the first trail leading from Section 9, off Jalan Rimba Riang 9/1. It is 2 km long and extends straight to the meeting point with the Unity trail. Close to the end of the Harmoni Trail there is a wakaf rest stop and picnic benches.
Tahak Sipew’s Garden – This is an ethnobotanical garden of about 800 meters which showcases plants traditionally used by the Temuan community for food, flavouring, medicine, craft and building in their natural setting. A tour with a Temuan guide will open your eyes to this rich traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and the amazing provision of the forest.
LOOKOUT TRAILS
The lookout trails together provide an additional loop from Unity Trail. The trails start from different intersections of the Unity Trail. They merge briefly at the last 200 metres before splitting of their respective lookout points. The peak is not very natural-looking as this area has had some work done to it to improve drainage in conjunction with the building of the highway. It is an open space with grass and small trees. Sections are covered with ferns. Anyone taking the lookout loop should expect to take 3 – 4 hours from start to finish as these trails are steeper in sections and take longer to complete. Reasonable fitness levels apply. Please be mindful to take out any rubbish that you may have brought with you.
Unity Peak – Unity Peak Trail which is about 2 km in length is accessed from Unity Trail; the beginning of the trail is closer to Harmoni Trail, not far from the wakaf. It meets Denai Tiga Puteri as the site of a massive fallen tree. Unity Peak Trail goes through a very lovely section of the forest with several small streams and a wide variety of palms and herbaceous plants. On a clear day it is possible to see all the way to Batu Caves from this peak.
Denai Tiga Puteri – Denai Tiga Puteri which is about 1.5 km in length is accessed from Unity Trail. It is the closer of the two to the Sahabat Trail intersection. There is a magnificent tree along this trail which never fails to captivate visitors. At the Denai Tiga Puteri lookout it is possible to see north and southbound traffic thundering along the NKVE with the Kota Damansara township in the distance.