Image: Jonathan Saunders | ©
A grey hut sitting amongst the snow and frost with smoke rising from the chimney into a bright pink sky at dusk.
Rangiwahia Hut

Located in Ruahine Forest Park in the Manawatu/Whanganui region

This is a serviced 13-bunk hut in the Manawatu region.

Facilities

  • Water source - tank
  • Heating source - wood burner

Gas cooking facilities have been removed. You must bring your own portable cooking stoves. There is a wood burner in the hut for heating, which may be used for cooking.

Take some fire lighting equipment. Wood is supplied but dry kindling would be useful.

Fees

  • Adult (18+ years): $25 per night
  • Youth (5–17 years): $12.50 per night
  • Child/Infant (0–4 years): free

Backcountry Hut Passes can be used at this hut. 

About hut tickets and passes | Retailers that sell hut tickets and passes

Bookings

Bookings for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026

Bookings open at 9.30 am on Tuesday 13 May 2025.

All bookings are first-come first-served. We do not have waiting lists for bookings for future seasons or facilities that are already booked-out.

Bookings for stays up to 30 June 2025

Bookings are currently open.

Bookings are required all year.

Book Rangiwahia Hut online

A $10 service fee applies to phone and in-person booking. This is a limited service – book online first. An in-person booking is dependent on there being space available.

Your hut booking is for any bunk bed, not for a specific bunk bed – select your bunk bed on arrival.

The start of the Rangiwahia Hut track is accessed from the Renfrew Roadend car park. To get there, travel to the settlement of Rangiwahia, then turn on to Te Parapara Road and continue on to Renfrew Road. Follow this to the carpark at the road end. Please make sure you leave all gates as you find them and take care around livestock.

Rangiwahia Hut sits above the bush line on the Whanahuia Range. A well-defined track zig zags over an old slip, through the beech forest up to the tussock covered open tops. It is a two - three hour walk, depending on your fitness and how often you stop to take advantage of the views.

The Rangiwahia-Deadmans Loop (7 - 9 hours) is a good option to stretch your legs and explore the tops on a clear day, but due to travel on open tops this should not be attempted in poor visibility or bad weather.

Tracks to this hut

Location

NZTopo50 map sheet: BL36
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1857993, N5579922

Recreational dog walking is not allowed in the Ruahine Forest Park. This includes dogs on and off a lead.

Weather forecast

Rangiwahia Hut weather forecast – NIWA website