The Kota Damansara Forest Reserve (Taman Eko Rimba Kota Damansara) is a nature refuge in Selangor’s concrete jungle. Covering just over 800 acres, this green lung is the last remnant of the lowland forest that once covered the area. The Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF) Society has worked tirelessly to save the reserve from urban development. Since 2011, they have expanded and maintained their hiking trail network to ensure everyone can enjoy the natural beauty and peacefulness of this vibrant forest.
How to Get to Kota Damansara Forest Reserve
The main entrance is near the end of Jalan Merbah 10/1 in Section 10, Kota Damansara. Turn off Persiaran Mohagani and follow the signs to the Section 10 secondary school. Look for the rolling black gate set in the stone wall on the right side.
There is a second entrance to the north near the Taman Rimba Riang park in Section 9. The only trail that begins at this end of the park is the Harmoni Trail. If you’re only interested in hiking to Unity Peak, then this is the more direct and expeditious entrance.
Parking at Kota Damansara Forest Reserve
I saw a lot of street parking all along the entire length of Jalan Merbah 10/1, which is presumably free. The big sign out front lists parking at RM3, but I would guess that is for parking inside the gates.
Admission Price & Opening Hours of Kota Damansara Forest Reserve
The park closes at 5 pm, but only allows visitor entry between the following hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8 AM – 2 PM
Friday: 8 AM – 1 PM
Weekends & Public Holidays: 7:30 AM – 2 PM
The entrance fee is RM2 for adults and RM1 for children aged 12 and under. The price is the same regardless of whether you’re a foreigner or a Malaysian. Payment must be in cash only.
Visitors must log their name and phone number before entering the community forest. Once you’ve paid, you will receive a paper ticket for each person in your group. These mostly act as a keepsake, as no one will check these tickets after this point. You’ll also get a laminated card with a number. This tag must be returned before you leave, so keep it safe. I’m assuming this card is a safety measure. If you don’t return it, the KDCF will call you (with the number you provided) to check that you’re not incapacitated somewhere in the forest.
Trails at Kota Damansara Forest Reserve
There are 9 named trails in the Kota Damansara Forest covering over 14 kilometres. The trails range from an easy stroll (Salleh) to a challenging trek to Unity Peak (Tiga Puteri). I have detailed hiking guides for some of the trails in the links below. You can also request a volunteer guide for your hike by contacting the KDCF through the Contact Us form on their website.
Petaling: Very easy difficulty. 15-30 minutes. Lakeside walk
Salleh: Very easy difficulty. 15-30 minutes. Forest walk adjacent to Petaling
Scout: Easy difficulty. 30-45 minutes. Good for a short hike that begins and ends near the main entrance
Serenity: Easy difficulty. 30-45 minutes. Skirts the southern edge of the forest with a rest stop at the lake
Temuan: Easy to moderate difficulty. 60-90 minutes. 2km loop accessible from Scout
Sahabat: Moderate difficulty. 90-120 minutes. 2km loop accessible from Temuan (total 6km)
Harmoni: Easy difficulty. 30-45 minutes. Joins up with Unity and is the only trail to start on the west edge of the forest
Unity: Moderate difficulty. 45-60 minutes. A 2km route between Sections 9 and 10 that links Sahabat to Harmoni
Tiga Puteri: Hard difficulty. 60 minutes. Trail to Unity Peak
Facilities
The toilets are at the main park entrance next to the ticket building. It was quite clean (for park washrooms). There are four rooms with sitting toilets and a small sink but no toilet paper, so bring a packet of tissues. The soap bottle was also empty, so think about bringing some hand sanitiser.
On the right side of the washroom building is a handy shoe cleaning area. It had water hoses and even a bundle of steel wool on our visit to clean all the dirt and clay off your shoes before getting back into your car.
Kota Damansara Forest Reserve supposedly has campsites, halls, and lodgings available for daily rental. There is no information about these on the official website, so I don’t know where in the park they’re located (or if they’re even still offered for rent). Try emailing the KDCF through their Contact Us form, or through their Facebook group if you need more details.
What to Eat at Kota Damansara Forest Reserve
There are no restaurants in Kota Damansara Forest Reserve. I only saw a vendor outside the main front gate selling canned drinks (100 Plus, Pepsi) along with what looked like iced honey lemon tea in a big vat. On my way in, she had some chopped fruit in bags among her wares, but these were all gone by the time I was leaving at 2 pm. We visited on the weekend, so I can’t guarantee that she’ll be here during the weekdays. When visiting Kota Damansara Forest Reserve, it’s best to bring your own food and drinks.
Saturday Worthy?
Kota Damansara Forest Reserve is a great way to spend a day outdoors if you like hiking. There are a variety of trails with varying difficulties, so you can customise what you want that day. The facilities and walking paths are not as polished as at Taman Tugu, but Kota Damansara Community Forest is much grander with more challenging trails.
Kota Damansara Forest Reserve website: https://kotadamansaraforest.org/
