Bukit Kasut — "shoe hill" in Malay, named for the shoe-shaped outline of the limestone outcrop — is the secondary walking trail at Niah National Park, offering a forest experience away from the cave circuit. The trail begins near the park visitor centre and climbs through primary dipterocarp and limestone scrub forest to a viewpoint overlooking the park and the surrounding lowlands. The return walk covers approximately 5 km and takes 2–3 hours at a comfortable pace.
Bukit Kasut is the better trail for wildlife observation, precisely because it carries fewer visitors than the cave route. The trail passes through several transitional forest types — lowland dipterocarp, limestone forest on the rocky slopes, and secondary regrowth near the trailhead — that together support a wider variety of bird species than the cave environs. Hornbills are reliably seen here: the rhinoceros hornbill's call echoes from the forest most mornings, and the bushy-crested and black hornbills are regular in the canopy. Gibbons call from the deeper forest sections, and common palm civets are occasionally encountered in the understorey.
The limestone flora is a highlight of the upper section. Specialised plants that grow only on limestone outcrops — including wild begonias, Monophyllaea species with single enormous leaves, and small orchids growing directly from the rock face — are found in abundance here that cannot be seen on the cave boardwalk. The pitcher plant Nepenthes reinwardtiana grows at the forest edge on the lower slopes.
Unlike the cave boardwalk, Bukit Kasut has no facilities — no handrails on the upper section, no lighting, and no interpretive panels. Wear trail shoes with grip, carry water and snacks, and start no later than 08:00 to complete the walk in the cooler morning hours. The trail is marked but less frequently maintained than the main boardwalk — look for the painted tree markers at each junction. Check conditions with the park office before departure.