Located in Paparoa National Park in the West Coast region
Bookings are open for the 2022/23 season.
55 km one way
Walkers on Paparoa Track Image: | DOC
Bridge across the Pororari River Image: Jason Blair ©
Walkers and a mountain biker on the Paparoa Track Image: Jason Blair ©
Mountain bikers on Paparoa Track Image: Jason Blair ©
Pororari Hut Image: Jason Blair ©
Mountain biking the Paparoa Track Image: Jason Blair ©
Remains of the area's unique mining history Image: Baptiste Maryns ©
Bookings are open for the 2022/23 season.
Time: 3 days walking, 2 days mountain biking (no e-bikes)
Distance: 55 km walking, 56. 2 km mountain biking (no-e-bikes)
On this page:
There are three Great Walk huts on the Paparoa Track: Ces Clark Hut, Moonlight Tops Hut and Pororari Hut. Huts have bunks, mattresses, heating, gas cooktops, toilets, and a water supply. A DOC ranger may be present. The huts do not provide food, cooking utensils or showers. Backcountry Hut Passes can be used at Ces Clark Hut but not at Moonlight Tops or Pororari Huts.
There are no campsites on the track.
You'll need accommodation the night before your walk - camping at Smoke-ho car park is not permitted.
Fees are charged per person, per night to stay in huts on the Paparoa Track. There are no fees to complete a day walk/ride on the track or for entry into Paparoa National Park.
New Zealand citizens and those ordinarily resident in New Zealand*:
International visitors:
Proof of eligibility is required for the New Zealand rate.
For all visitors:
Backcountry Hut Passes can be used as payment for Ces Clark Hut, however you'll need to book online, then claim a refund.
To claim a refund, email paparoavc@doc.govt.nz with your booking reference and a scanned copy of your Backcountry Hut Pass.
All three huts must be booked in advance. If you don’t have a valid booking for your stay, you may be charged a penalty, or turned away if the hut is full.
Time: 4–5 hr
Distance: 10.3 km
For the first hour of the track, you’ll pass through mixed podocarp and beech forest and cross a wire suspension bridge over the Smoke-ho Creek. The track then zig-zags up the dividing ridge between Blackball Creek and Roaring Meg catchments for the next hour until you reach the turn-off to the Battery Track.
The track then climbs more steeply into subalpine forest leading towards Ces Clark Hut. You’ll pass the historic Croesus Top Hut just before reaching Ces Clark Hut. Croesus Top Hut is kept for historic purposes – you cannot stay at Croesus Top Hut. However, in an emergency, you can use it for shelter.
Ces Clark Hut is on the edge of the bushline, set among low alpine scrub and with spectacular views. On a fine day you will be rewarded with views of Lake Brunner, the main divide, and down to Aoraki Mount Cook.
Time: 45 min return
Take a side trip along this historic track to see relics of the gold-mining days.
Turn off the Paparoa Track at Garden Gully junction. Historic Garden Gully Hut, a miner’s hut dating from the 1930s, is just a few minutes down the track, but is not recommended for accommodation.
After crossing a suspension bridge, the track forks. To the left is a marked route up the creek to a century-old quartz crushing battery (5 minutes walking). To the right, the track climbs to the mouth of the collapsed Garden Gully Mine (15 minutes walking).
Time: 3 hr
Distance: 9.7 km
Beyond Ces Clark Hut you pass through alpine scrub and tussock with expansive views of Grey River/Māwheranui and Tasman Sea.
The track follows the ridge of the main Paparoa Range through open alpine vegetation above the Roaring Meg and Moonlight Creek catchments, with views of Aoraki/Mt Cook on a clear day.
Moonlight Tops Hut has panoramic views across the Punakaiki River headwaters around to the escarpment, Pike Stream and Paparoa National Park.
Time: 1 hr 10 min return
The turn-off to Croesus Knob is a 30-minute walk beyond Ces Clark Hut. From the main Paparoa Track, a rough route climbs to the top of Croesus Knob (1204 m), where there are spectacular views down to Aoraki Mount Cook and out to Tasman Sea.
This route is not suitable for mountain bikes and is not maintained to the same standard as the main Paparoa Track.
Time: 5–7 hr
Distance: 19.1 km
Paparoa Track winds along the top of the escarpment, with steep cliffs and stunning views. There is an emergency shelter on the nothern end of the escarptment. About half-way to Pororari Hut, you descend from the escarpment through ancient podocarp forest. The track then follows the ridge above Tindale Creek to Pororari Hut. Keep an eye out for the Lone Hand, a gnarled outcrop of rock on the north side of the Pororari River.
Time: 4–5 hr
Distance: 16 km to Pororari River car park, 17.1 km to Waikori Road carpark
The track descends into the upper Pororari River valley and follows the river. In some places it follows an old track which was built c1912–1914 to establish a settlement in the valley. The track sidles along a spectacular gorge and descends through beech forest interspersed with northern rātā.
At the junction of the Inland Pack Track and the Paparoa Track, hikers and mountain bikers diverge. Walkers take the Pororari River Track through the Pororari River Gorge; mountain bikers follow the Inland Pack Track over a low saddle into the Punakaiki River valley to Waikori Road car park. Both tracks pass through lush rainforest with glades of nikau palms.
Time: 2–3 hr
Distance: 10.3 km
Time: 1 hr 30 min – 2 hr 30 min
Distance: 9.7 km
Time: 4–5 hr
Distance: 19.1 km
Time: 2 hr 30 min – 3 hr 30 min
Distance: 17. 1 km
Paparoa Track is a well-formed track with numerous swing and suspension bridges. The track is Advanced: Grade 4 with a mixture of long, steep climbs, narrow track, poor traction and obstacles that are difficult to avoid or jump over. It's a particularly tough ride to Ces Clark Hut. The track is generally exposed at the outside edge. Most riders will find some sections easier to walk.
Plan to spend one night on the track.
Rough section of the track up to Ces Clark Hut
Image: Ben Hodgson | DOC
This is a shared-use track. Follow the mountain bikers code: respect others, respect the rules, respect the track.
Mountain bikers and walkers share Paparoa Track
Image: Jason Blair ©
The nearest towns are Blackball, Greymouth and Punakaiki.
The track can be accessed by road at:
Several operators provide shuttle services to and from Paparoa Track.
Find transport around the coast (West Coast Tourism).
We recommend leaving your car at your accommodation – Smoke-ho car park is small and for day use only.
DOC works in partnership with the Paparoa Wildlife Trust in the south-east ranges bordering the Paparoa National Park. The Trust maintains a trapping network that effectively controls 10,000 to 15,000 ha of land. This programme, in conjunction with the 12.5-ha pest-proof kiwi crèche on the Atarau plains and the Paparoa great spotted kiwi/roroa recovery project, has delivered significant gains for kiwi.
The Ngāti Waewae hapū (sub-tribe) of Ngāi Tahu are the kaitiaki of Paparoa National Park, guardians of the area’s native species and ecosystems. This kaitiaki responsibility is passed down the generations and draws on mātauranga (traditional knowledge) to care for the land, rivers and species.
In the 1860s, the discovery of gold on the West Coast sparked a gold rush and a sudden influx of European settlement. Between 1881 and 1899, the Croesus Track was constructed to allow better access to mines in upper Blackball Creek. The first part of the Paparoa Track follows this route. You can see the remnants of the gold-mining days by taking a side trip to Garden Gully.
The section of track between Pororari Hut and Punakaiki also follows historical routes.
The stretch between Waikori Road car park and the Pororari River follows the 1867 Inland Pack Track, once one of the main access routes between Greymouth and Westport. The track up the Pororari River was originally built to open up the area for farming. Few farms were formed and the route languished, but it was revitalised in the 1950s for a short-lived uranium-mining venture.
On 19 November 2010, 29 men perished in an underground explosion at the Pike River Mine. Created in partnership with the families of those 29 men, the Department of Conservation and Ngāti Waewae, the Paparoa Track is a memorial to the men and a thank you to New Zealanders for their support of the Pike River families.
Weather in Paparoa National Park is changeable with annual rainfall averaging around 6,000 mm (235 inches). Heavy rain, snow, ice, fog and strong winds are possible at all times of the year, especially on the exposed sections of the track.
You must be well equipped and prepared for all weather conditions and carry warm and waterproof clothing. If the weather becomes severe, stay put in a hut or turn back until conditions improve.
If you are hiking or biking the track in winter, check for snow and ice conditions before you leave and allow extra time. If in doubt, consider changing your trip to another day.
Paparoa National Park weather forecast – NIWA website
Sections of the Paparoa Track may be scoured or rutted due to heavy rainfall events. Bikers should take care as the damage can affect ride line and stability in some sections.
Be aware that landslides and rock falls can occur on the Paparoa Track, particularly during and after heavy rain. These can occur without warning. Follow instructions on warning signage and do not linger in identified rock fall areas.
Some sections of track in the Pororari Valley may become impassable during times of very heavy rainfall. There is also a risk of landslides. There is danger of treefall in extreme wind events. Do not attempt to travel between Pororari Hut and the carparks in Punakaiki if these conditions occur. Take shelter in Pororari Hut and wait until conditions improve.
The section between Smoke-ho carpark and Ces Clark Hut is a tough mountain bike ride as it's rough and narrow in places. Make sure you have the skills, fitness and time to tackle it.
The track is well marked but if you become lost you should stop, find shelter and stay calm. Put on extra clothing to keep warm and assist rescuers should you hear them searching for you.
There is no cellphone coverage on most of the Paparoa Track.
New Zealand’s native tree nettle, Ongaonga, may be seen along the Paparoa Track in the Pororari Valley. It's sting is painful - don't touch its leaves.
You cannot buy food on the track.
Bring food that is lightweight, fast cooking and high in energy value. For example:
You'll also need water, snacks, biscuits, muesli bars, tea or coffee, powdered fruit drinks and emergency food in case of any delays on the track.
The Pike River catchment area and the Pike29 Memorial Track are closed due to track construction and memorial facilities development.
The Pike29 Memorial Track is expected to be completed by Christmas 2022. An opening date will be confirmed closer to the time. The memorial facilities are expected to be completed by mid-2024.
Paparoa National Park Visitor Centre | |
Phone: | +64 3 731 1895 |
Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
Email: | paparoavc@doc.govt.nz |
Address: |
4294 Coast Road Punakaiki RD 1 Runanga 7873 |
Postal Address: |
4294 Coast Road Punakaiki RD 1 Runanga 7873 |
Full office details |