Johor waterfall and nature trips by car: which spot, which checkpoint
Written and reviewed by the Radiant VEP Solutions team.
A Singapore driver's table of Johor waterfalls and nature parks: Gunung Pulai, Kota Tinggi, Tanjung Piai, Gunung Ledang and Endau-Rompin, with the checkpoint, the route, the permit and guide rules, and what we could not confirm is open.
In this article
For a Johor waterfall day by car, start with Gunung Pulai. Cross at Tuas, take the North-South Expressway to the Kulai exit, and the pools are a short walk from the park entrance. Leave Kota Tinggi out of your plans for now. The last official statement we found, from November 2024, said that waterfall was still closed for safety, and we could not confirm anything newer.
Pick the others by the day you want. Tanjung Piai is a flat boardwalk through mangroves, with no guide needed, so it suits children and wet weeks. Gunung Ledang's summit and every Endau-Rompin trail need a guide and a long drive, which makes them better as overnight trips.
Check before you leave, especially this month. MetMalaysia put the start of the northeast monsoon at 27 October 2026 and its end in March 2027. Johor has shut forest parks and hiking trails in past monsoons, and on 2 November 2026 we could find no notice for this one either way.
Key takeaways
- Easiest waterfall: Gunung Pulai, which you reach by crossing at Tuas and leaving the expressway at Kulai. The forestry department's eco park page lists no permit for the waterfall area, but a summit hike needs one.
- Kota Tinggi waterfall had been closed since 2019 when Johor's Menteri Besar last spoke about it in November 2024. We found nothing newer, so treat it as closed.
- For no hike and no guide, go to Tanjung Piai and its 1.2km of boardwalks, which stayed open when other national parks shut in January 2023 and December 2025.
- Johor National Parks says Gunung Ledang's summit and all Endau-Rompin trails need a guide. Ledang day hikers must start by 8am, and the park puts the drive from Singapore at three hours.
- Ledang hiking and Endau-Rompin's Peta entrance closed from 1 December last year, so ask the park about this year before you book.
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Which spot suits which day
Sorted by effort, from a picnic to an overnight trek. Routes are the park's own where it publishes one.
| Spot | Suits | Checkpoint | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunung Pulai waterfall | Family picnic, a swim, a short walk | Tuas | North-South Expressway to the Kulai exit. About an hour from Johor Bahru, says Tourism Malaysia |
| Tanjung Piai | Flat walk, mangroves, children, a wet week | Tuas | From Johor Bahru: Jalan Skudai Highway to Pekan Nenas, then the rural roads to Kukup and the signs |
| Gunung Pulai summit | A half-day hike, 6km return | Tuas | As for the waterfall, with the trail starting from the same area |
| Kota Tinggi waterfall | Nothing for now. See the status below | Woodlands | KM16 Jalan Lombong, about 15km from Kota Tinggi town and 60km from Johor Bahru |
| Gunung Ledang, Kolam Puteri | A 1km walk to a waterfall, if it has reopened | Tuas | Expressway exit 235 at Tangkak, then Route 23 towards Sagil |
| Gunung Ledang summit | Fit hikers, ideally staying overnight | Tuas | Same exit. The entrance arch is just past Sagil police station, then almost 4km through an oil palm estate |
| Endau-Rompin, Selai | Guided waterfall treks | Tuas | Expressway exit at Yong Peng North, then Chaah and Bekok |
| Endau-Rompin, Peta | Guided treks and camping, with a 4WD or a transfer | Tuas | Expressway exit at Simpang Renggam, then Kluang and Kahang |
Why Tuas for most of them
PLUS describes the Second Link as a 47km highway that meets the North-South Expressway at Senai North Interchange, so you skip Johor Bahru's city streets. Gunung Pulai, Ledang and Endau-Rompin all come off that expressway. Tanjung Piai is on the western side of Johor too, though Johor National Parks only publishes a route from Johor Bahru, so compare the Second Link on your map first.
Woodlands puts you at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar in the city, which is the natural start for Kota Tinggi. It also works for Gunung Pulai if you live in the north or east of Singapore, since the city roads lead to the same expressway.
Tuas has the higher toll, and The Straits Times reported in August 2026 that parts of its departure car zones would close in phases until late 2027. Look at LTA's traffic cameras before you choose. Our Woodlands or Tuas guide has the full comparison.
Permits, guides and current status
Status means what we could confirm on 2 November 2026. None of these parks publishes a live status page that we could find, so ask the park office before a long drive.
| Spot | Permit | Guide | Status on 2 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunung Pulai waterfall | None listed on the forestry department's eco park page | None listed | Could not confirm. No 2026 notice found. Closed in past monsoons |
| Gunung Pulai summit | Required. Fee only on the Hutan Pelajaran route | Listed as required by TAHAN Outdoor. Not stated on the forestry page | Could not confirm, as above |
| Kota Tinggi waterfall | Not applicable | Not applicable | Closed since 2019, per the Menteri Besar in November 2024. Nothing newer found |
| Tanjung Piai | None stated | Optional. Book rangers in advance | No closure found. Operating normally in the park's December 2025 notice |
| Gunung Ledang, Kolam Puteri | None stated. The page lists admission only | None stated | Could not confirm. Still closed in December 2025, one trial day in February 2026 |
| Gunung Ledang summit | Compulsory | Compulsory, one for every seven hikers | Could not confirm for this monsoon. Hiking closed from 1 December 2025 |
| Endau-Rompin, Selai | Entry permit on arrival | Licensed guide required on all trails | Could not confirm. The park says Selai usually stays open all year |
| Endau-Rompin, Peta | Entry permit on arrival | Licensed guide required on all trails | Could not confirm for this monsoon. Closed from 1 December 2025 |
Who to ask
Gunung Pulai comes under the Johor Forestry Department, which has a district office on Jalan Bukit Timbalan in Johor Bahru and has posted past closure notices on its Facebook page. Tanjung Piai, Gunung Ledang and Endau-Rompin come under the Johor National Parks Corporation, with contact numbers on each park's page and notices on its social accounts. We could not establish who now answers for Kota Tinggi waterfall, though TAHAN Outdoor's guide sends readers to the Kota Tinggi municipal council.
Gunung Pulai
Gunung Pulai is 654m high, in the forest reserve near Kulai. The forestry department puts its eco park 40km from Johor Bahru and 10km from Pekan Nenas. The Star's reports call it a popular spot for Singaporeans, easily reached by leaving the expressway at the Kulai toll plaza.
The waterfall
Tourism Malaysia describes pools at the base, a second level at the top joined by stairs, and a 20-minute trek from there to a smaller, quieter cascade. Toilets and changing rooms are on site, along with a campsite. Tourism Malaysia lists a weekly closing day too, so look that up before you set off.
The waterfall area closed for three months in 2015 after water samples tested positive for leptospirosis. It shut again in May 2017 when an 18-year-old died of it, and state officials said the surroundings were dirty. If you get a fever after swimming there, tell the doctor where you swam.
The summit hike
The forestry department lists a 6km track taking about four hours there and back. Its site says a hiking permit application is compulsory on all routes, and its Gunung Pulai page says hikers on the tarred road to the summit pay no permit fee. That fee is charged only on the Hutan Pelajaran route, where non-citizens paid RM30 per entry when we read the page on 2 November 2026.
No fee does not mean no application, though TAHAN Outdoor's 2026 guide reads the road as needing no permit at all, so ask the district office which applies to you. TAHAN also says Johor handles applications at the district office, at least a week ahead, and it lists Gunung Pulai as needing a licensed forestry guide. The department's own page does not mention a guide. The department told The Star in April 2022 that it planned to make guides compulsory in forest reserves from January 2023, and we could not find the final rule.
Kota Tinggi waterfall
On 28 November 2024, Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi told the Johor state assembly that the Kota Tinggi waterfall had been closed to the public since 2019 for safety. Floods and sudden water surges in 2019, 2022 and 2023 destroyed RM3.5 million of upgraded infrastructure, he said, and a detailed study had to come before any reopening.
We found no later statement from the state, so we could not confirm its current status. Malaysia Traveller's page also says it has stayed shut with no sign of reopening, while keeping its old review of the slides and pools below that note, so read any such description as history.
What to do on that side of Johor instead
Go for the fireflies, which means a boat on the river after dark and a late drive home through Woodlands. Tourism Johor's 2021 account of Firefly Valley Leisure Park puts Kota Tinggi two hours from Singapore by car and describes life vests being handed out at the jetty, and YouTrip listed Kota Tinggi Firefly Park in January 2026.
Tanjung Piai
This is the southernmost point of mainland Asia, and the smallest of Johor's national parks. You walk 1.2km of boardwalks through the mangroves on your own, with signs along the way. A metal globe marks the tip, and the park says its 3 Kingdoms jetty looks out on Singapore and Indonesia as well as Malaysia. The park's page lists no charge for parking.
Johor National Parks' route runs along Jalan Skudai Highway towards Pontian. At Pekan Nenas, turn left at Jalan Peradin Belokok, right at Jalan Belokok, then left on to Jalan Kukup Pontian towards Kukup Town, and follow the signs from there.
What the park tells visitors
- Bring a raincoat in the rainy season, plus water and insect repellent.
- Do not feed the macaques.
- Pets are not allowed.
- Turn off roaming, because your phone may switch to a Singapore network.
Tourism Malaysia lists a weekly closing day that the park's own tips page does not mention, so send the park a message before you drive out.
Gunung Ledang
Two separate areas share this name, and they have different rules. Both are reached from exit 235 at Tangkak. Johor National Parks' page gives three hours from Singapore and five hours from Johor Bahru, which cannot both be right, so take three hours as the minimum.
The summit, from Taman Hutan Lagenda
The mountain is 1,276m, and the park warns of ladders on near-vertical rock and narrow crevices past the halfway point. A permit and a guide are compulsory. Up to 150 climbers a day start here, so the park says to book at least a month ahead.
The timing is what catches a Singapore driver. Day trips must start by 8am, and anyone who has not reached checkpoint 7 by 1pm has to turn back. Add a three-hour drive and a border crossing and you would be leaving home in the small hours, so use the park's chalets, dorms or campsites at the entrance and stay the night before. Its tips page says hiking is usually not allowed in December and January.
Kolam Puteri waterfall
The park describes a 1km walk of about 15 minutes, with buggies from the entrance to the ticket counter for older visitors and families with children. Its current status is the problem:
- The Star reported it closed for upgrading from 14 October 2024, due to reopen after 31 December 2024.
- The Iskandarian reported the second phase of the upgrade almost 90% complete on 26 April 2025.
- The park's December 2025 notice said the closure was still in force.
- The park advertised a one-day trial opening on 14 February 2026.
- The Star reported that a 15-year-old drowned after slipping while swimming there on 1 April 2026.
People have clearly been in the water this year, yet we found no notice of a full reopening, so ask the park first. Gunung Ledang also closed from 27 June to 10 July 2024 on a health department order, after leptospirosis cases in Tangkak district.
Endau-Rompin
At 48,905 hectares, this is the largest protected area in the southern half of Peninsular Malaysia, with two entrances far apart. Tourism Malaysia puts the park about two and a half hours from Johor Bahru and Tourism Johor says two hours for Selai, so plan on at least one night. The park says to book ahead and get entry permits on arrival.
Where your car stops
Check this first, because a normal car will not comfortably reach either entrance.
- For Selai, leave the expressway at Yong Peng North and go through Chaah to the Bekok office, then allow about an hour more to the visitor centre. The park does not recommend the last 6km of rugged track for a normal car, and you can leave yours at Bekok and use a local transport provider.
- For Peta, go through Kluang to Kahang and take the turn-off about 7km along the Mersing road, then drive 53km more to Kampung Peta. Without a 4WD, the park suggests leaving your car at its Kahang office.
Waterfalls and timing
The park names Takah Tinggi and Takah Pandan at Selai, with Upeh Guling and Buaya Sangkut at Peta. June to August are the best months in its view, when the trails are in good shape and leeches are scarce. Bring ringgit, since most providers take nothing else and the entrances have no ATMs, and expect little or no phone signal.
Peta may close at the monsoon peak if the Endau river floods. The park says Selai usually stays open all year, but it shut with the others in January 2023 and The Star's report of the 2024 closures named Endau-Rompin as a whole, so ask about Selai as well.
Flash floods and monsoon closures
MetMalaysia expects three to five episodes of continuous heavy rain from November 2026 to January 2027, with flooding possible near rivers and in low-lying areas. This is the record of closures we found.
| When | What closed | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 25 January 2023, until further notice | All forestry eco parks and hiking tracks, ten days after they had reopened, plus five national park sites. Tanjung Piai was the one national park left open | Prolonged rain, with seven districts flooded |
| 20 November 2023 | Gunung Pulai 1 and 2 first, with no hiking permits issued. Other eco parks from 1 December, depending on weather | Monsoon |
| 27 June to 10 July 2024 | Gunung Ledang park and waterfall | Leptospirosis cases in Tangkak district |
| 15 November 2024, until further notice | Forestry eco parks and hiking trails with Panti Bird Sanctuary, then Endau-Rompin and Ledang's Lagenda area from 1 December | Monsoon |
| 1 December 2025, until further notice | Endau-Rompin Peta and Ledang hiking, with Lagenda's chalets still open. Tanjung Piai and Pulau Kukup operating as usual | Monsoon |
We found no forestry department notice for 2025 or 2026, which may only mean it did not reach the news we could search. The 2023 and 2024 notices came in mid to late November, so a trip booked for later this month could still be caught.
What officials have said about the risk
The Menteri Besar pointed to water surges that killed people at Gunung Jerai in 2021 and at Sungai Jahang in Perak, where three died on 16 November 2024. A trail with no river still carries a risk of landslides, the forestry director has said, and a forest gets dark enough in rain for people to get lost and hurt. Going round a closure notice can also bring action under the Johor State Forestry (Utilisation) Enactment 1985.
Johor National Parks' site links to a warning system at ewsledang.com, which returned an error when we tried it on 2 November 2026, and we found no such service for Gunung Pulai. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's advice this monsoon, reported by Bernama, is to watch MetMalaysia's warnings, stay away from flood-prone areas and never try to cross floodwater.
Other Johor attractions for a nature day
These are further out or smaller. The list is by distance from Johor Bahru where a source gives one, not a ranking.
| Place | What it is | Driver's note |
|---|---|---|
| Pulau Kukup | Johor national park, in Pontian district | Same side of Johor as Tanjung Piai. Operating normally in the park's December 2025 notice |
| Desaru Beach | A 22km stretch of beach on the east coast | About 1 hour 30 minutes from Johor Bahru on the Senai-Desaru Expressway, says Tourism Malaysia, which also says to check monsoon conditions |
| Gunung Lambak | A 510m hill near Kluang, 6km and about three hours return, per the forestry department | The department's page sets out a permit, while TAHAN Outdoor's list calls it open access. Ask the Kluang district office |
| Soga Perdana eco park | Forest eco park 5km from Batu Pahat town | 130km from Johor Bahru, says the forestry department. It was on the department's 2023 closure list |
For a city day with one outdoor stop instead, our JB day plans keep you close to the checkpoint.
Before you set off
Most of these drives go well past JB, so the car matters more than it does on a mall run. LTA requires a three-quarter tank when you leave Singapore and has no top-up machines at the checkpoints, which means sorting your toll card before you go, and the rest is in our Causeway checklist.
When you refill in Malaysia, a Singapore car may only buy RON97. Our petrol guide has the rule and a dated price.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kota Tinggi waterfall open?
We could not confirm that it is. Johor's Menteri Besar said on 28 November 2024 that it had been closed since 2019 for safety, and we found no later statement of a reopening, so treat it as closed.
Is Gunung Pulai open?
We found no 2026 notice either way on 2 November 2026. The forestry department closed it first in the 2023 monsoon and included its eco parks in the 2024 closures, so check with its Johor Bahru district office before you go.
Do I need a permit for Gunung Pulai?
The forestry department's eco park page lists none for the waterfall area. For the summit, its site says a hiking permit application is compulsory on all routes, with a fee charged only on the Hutan Pelajaran route.
Can I swim at Gunung Pulai waterfall?
Tourism Malaysia describes pools for swimming at the base. The area has been closed twice over leptospirosis, in 2015 and 2017, so stay out after heavy rain and tell a doctor where you swam if you get a fever afterwards.
Which checkpoint is best for a Johor nature trip?
Tuas for Gunung Pulai, Tanjung Piai, Gunung Ledang and Endau-Rompin, because the Second Link is on the western side and reaches the North-South Expressway at Senai North. Woodlands for Kota Tinggi, and for Gunung Pulai if you live in the north or east of Singapore.
Can I climb Gunung Ledang as a day trip from Singapore?
It is possible but tight. Day climbers must start by 8am and the park puts the drive at three hours from Singapore, so most drivers would be better off staying at the park the night before.
Can I drive a normal car to Endau-Rompin?
Only part of the way. At Selai the last 6km is a rugged track, and Peta is 53km from the main road, so the park suggests leaving a non-4WD at its Bekok or Kahang office and using a local transport provider.
Which Johor nature spot is the best choice in wet weather?
Tanjung Piai has the best record. It stayed open in the January 2023 closures and was operating as usual in the December 2025 notice, though you should still check ahead.
Sources
- Johor Forestry Department: Gunung Pulai, permit conditions (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor Forestry Department: Taman Eko Rimba Gunung Pulai (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor Forestry Department: portal, hiking permit application (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor Forestry Department: Gunung Lambak (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor Forestry Department: Taman Eko Rimba Soga Perdana (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: home page and warning system link (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Tanjung Piai (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Tanjung Piai friendly tips (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Tanjung Piai activities (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Tanjung Piai places of interest (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Gunung Ledang Lagenda (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Gunung Ledang friendly tips (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Gunung Ledang activities (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Gunung Ledang Waterfall (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Endau-Rompin Selai (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Endau-Rompin Selai friendly tips (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Endau-Rompin Selai activities (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Endau-Rompin Peta (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Endau-Rompin Peta friendly tips (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks: Endau-Rompin Peta activities (read 2 November 2026)
- Johor National Parks on TikTok: closure notice for Peta and Ledang Lagenda from 1 December 2025
- Johor National Parks on TikTok: Gunung Ledang waterfall trial opening, 14 February 2026
- Tourism Malaysia: Outdoor adventures in Johor Bahru, including Gunung Pulai, Tanjung Piai, Endau-Rompin and Desaru Beach
- Tourism Johor: Endau Rompin Selai
- Tourism Johor: Firefly Valley Leisure Park (30 October 2021)
- Sinar Harian: Reopening Air Terjun Kota Tinggi needs a study, Onn Hafiz (28 November 2024)
- Bernama: Air Terjun Kota Tinggi still closed for safety reasons (November 2024)
- Malaysia Traveller: Kota Tinggi Waterfall
- The Star: Northeast monsoon set to bring flood risks (24 October 2026)
- The Star: Stay alert as northeast monsoon begins (27 October 2026)
- The Star: Johor's eco-tourism areas to close for monsoon season (16 November 2024)
- The Star: Two Johor eco parks closed to public due to monsoon (29 November 2023)
- The Star: All national parks in Johor closed due to bad weather (26 January 2023)
- The Edge, from Bernama: Johor closes forest ecoparks, hiking, 4WD tracks until further notice (26 January 2023)
- The Star: Eco parks, mountains and hills statewide to reopen on Jan 15 (11 January 2023)
- RTM: Eco parks and hiking trails in Johor forest reserves to reopen in January 2024
- The Star: Gunung Pulai waterfall off-limits after teen dies of leptospirosis (19 May 2017)
- The Star: Gunung Pulai park to stay closed until June 14 (10 June 2017)
- The Star: Johor plans to make it compulsory to hire mountain guide (13 April 2022)
- The Star: Gunung Ledang National Park closed temporarily due to leptospirosis cases (27 June 2024)
- The Star: Teenager drowns at Gunung Ledang waterfall (1 April 2026)
- The Iskandarian: 90% of Phase 2 completed, Gunung Ledang Waterfall (April 2025)
- TAHAN Outdoor: Gunung Pulai, a hiker's guide (2026)
- TAHAN Outdoor: Hiking permits in Johor, the official list of legal trails (2026)
- TAHAN Outdoor: Air Terjun Kota Tinggi guide (2026)
- YouTrip: 27 things to do in JB (13 January 2026)
- PLUS: Our expressways, Malaysia-Singapore Second Link
- LTA OneMotoring: Vehicles registered in Singapore, exit requirements and tolls (read 2 November 2026)
- LTA OneMotoring: Traffic cameras (read 2 November 2026)
- The Straits Times, republished by The Star: Car lane closures at Tuas Checkpoint from Sept 1 (26 August 2026)
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