Of Views and Gears: A day ride to Bitbit Bridge, Ipo Dam view deck, and Mountain Views in Norzagaray

Bulacan is an uncharted province for me, at least as my travels are concerned.

Like other provinces I've been to, I know that it still has more profundity to offer than the history lessons I've learned in Malolos and Barasoain church during my last visit.

Easter Sunday at Barasoain church
(April 2024)

With this in mind, I travelled back to Bulacan around November 2024. My destination this time is Norzagaray, located in East Bulacan and close to Sierra Madre.

Top nature destinations in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

I went to see the famous Bitbit bridge and riverbanks, the Ipo dam view decks, and also did a side trip to a local hilltop view.

This blog post recounts the last of the two motorcycle rides I had last year.

Riding with Yamaha Sniper MXI (2017)

This is my motorcycle ride travel blog series, of views and gears.

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The Road from Manila to Norzagaray, Bulacan

Norzagaray is about 50 km away from Metro Manila. On light traffic, it takes two hours to get to it from Quezon City.

Plotted ride route to Norzagaray, Bulacan.
Courtesy: Google maps

Doing research prior to the ride, I noticed that Norzagaray is easily accessible, being just a few kilometers north of Fairview, Quezon City.

I left my starting point in Las Piñas at around 10 am on a Saturday and went through Manila. From here, I chose to traverse España Boulevard to get to Quezon and Commonwealth Avenues.

SM City Fairview (11:43 AM).

After an hour and a half of negotiating through light to moderate metro traffic, I reached SM Fairview, the first landmark of my ride and my jump-off point before I continue to Bulacan.

The road to Norzagaray is simple from here. I'll just need to take a right turn and continue northwards through Quirino highway, passing by San Jose Del Monte city (SJDM).

SJDM welcome arch along Quirino highway.

Beyond SM City SJDM, the roadside scenery started to become lush, a premonition that I'm entering near Sierra Madre and my destination of Norzagaray.

I soon reached the rotunda of Brgy. Bigte, the first landmark in my ride that is now in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Brgy. Bigte Rotunda in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

This roundabout separates the continuation of Quirino highway on the left and the other parts of Norzagaray situated deep within Sierra Madre on the right, which I'm about to explore.

Barangay San Mateo also known as Hilltop

The real ascent to enter Sierra Madre starts beyond the Brgy. Bigte Rotunda and continues until San Mateo, the next barangay, rising 236 meters above sea level.

Sierra Madre as seen from Brgy. San Mateo, Norzagaray, Bulacan.

The Ipo dam view decks are located in this barangay, but I skipped them for the moment because further on the road, the Bitbit bridge and riverbanks loom, and I wanted to get to them first.

Norzagaray's Hidden Paradise: Bitbit bridge and Riverbanks

Bitbit bridge is at a lower elevation than San Mateo. This meant that the road further is a downhill, continuous 4 km ride down the lower parts of Sierra Madre, at the end of which the bridge will be revealed like an oasis as the road starts to level.

First destination: Bitbit bridge (2 PM)

Bitbit bridge is a 100 ft. concrete structure that connects the next Brgy. of San Lorenzo and San Mateo to the Quirino highway, serving as one of the farm-to-market roads in Bulacan.

Being nestled deep in Sierra Madre, pristine views naturally surround it: the sprawling forests and the refreshing sight of the Bitbit River below.

Idling in Bitbit bridge.

The scarce tourists and vendors on the bridge at the time not only meant fewer distractions but also a restful moment. I took my time taking in the surrounding views, recovering from the 4-hour ride I took to get to the bridge.

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It is in Brgy. San Lorenzo beyond the bridge that the Angat dam and lake are located but presently, it is not accessible to travelers because of private management.

Brgy. Lorenzo and AREP signages near Bitbit bridge.

Together with Ipo and La Mesa, these dams supply 90% of Metro Manila's water requirement.

Bitbit river as seen atop Bitbit bridge.

The Bitbit river below is named after a mythical creature called "Bitbit" that is said to inhabit it, carrying away anyone who ventures close to its territory according to local folklore.

To get to the river, there are descending off-road trails on both ends of the bridge, passable by both motorcycles and vehicles, with a parking fee of P30 and P100, respectively.

Going off-road.

There are also cottages along the riverbanks that can be rented for P300 for a day's stay.

The view in the Bitbit river banks.

The fair depth and refreshing view of the river truly entice one to take a dip. I, however, contented myself with its view for now, making sure that I get enough rest before I leave the so-called Hidden Paradise of Norzagaray to head up to my next destination.

The Ipo Dam View Decks in Brgy. San Mateo

The road back to San Mateo was equally sinuous during ascent, but I arrived back at 3 PM, just 15 minutes coming from Bitbit bridge.

At this point, the sun's rays have settled a bit and I ended up choosing a view deck that has the most spacious and most unobstructed view of the Ipo dam.

One of the many Ipo dam view decks in San Mateo.

The locals charge just P10 to P20 for entrance fee. There were also food and refreshments offered.

Ipo dam as seen in Brgy. San Mateo.

Ipo Dam is another concrete architecture seamlessly integrated within this part of Sierra Madre, featuring 7 gravity-controlled spillways and holds up to 7.5 million cubic meters of water for capacity.

Pointing to the distant Ipo dam, an engineering marvel indeed.

After a short meal, I checked another view deck with a different angle to see the dam. It features more photo spots, including a Bali-inspired spiral nest and a concrete hand structure overlooking Ipo.

More photo spots in another viewdeck.

I left the view deck at 3:30 PM, eyeing to be back in the Metro before late night took over.

A Final Norzagaray Side Trip: Mountain view and 100 Steps to 360° View

Riding my way back to Quirino highway, an attraction caught my attention on the roadside.

I pulled over to see a welcome arch leading to a mountainside and hilltop park within.

Mountain view park: a lesser known attraction in Norzagaray.

The posters at the entrance reveal that the park is called Mountain View, requiring just P10 for entrance fee.

What the park offered is just what its namesake declared, providing an unhampered view of the Sierra Madre in another topography.

Sierra Madre mountain range as seen from Mountain view park.

On the other side of the park lies its main attraction: a hilltop that requires 100 landscaped steps to get to.

The path towards the hilltop.

At the top, there were benches and picnic areas. There were also photo spots like stages, nests, swings, and huts.

The photo spots atop the hill.

As the sun starts to set, so does my trip in Norzagaray. It\ knew then that I had to finally continue my ride back to the city.

End of the Ride: Back to Manila

I travelled through the same route back to Las Piñas, traversing through Quirino highway, Commonwealth, Quezon avenue, and España boulevard.

End of the ride: Las Piñas (8PM)

Putting up with the more congested night traffic, I arrived home and ended my day ride at 8 PM, 3 and half hours after I left Norzagaray.

Ride Summary

With this ride, I have ventured to another part of Bulacan I coveted. A part that is slightly off-grid to many travelers but inspires wonder and awe all the same.

The nature destination I visited in Norzagaray, seen in other angles.

The Bitbit bridge, riverbanks, Ipo dam view decks, and the little gem that is the Mountain View Park were all worth it for a day ride. They are great alternatives for riders or travelers who want an enjoyable nature sojourn.

For now, I'll check Norzagaray out on my ride list until there's another reason for me to return (the re-opening of Angat rainforest park, perhaps?).