Located in Paparoa National Park in the West Coast region
Huts: Limited availability from May
Bookings are planned to open in mid-June 2021, for trips that require bookings from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. The specific date that bookings will open will be added to this page, at least two weeks prior to the date.
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 ©
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, those ordinarily resident in New Zealand*:
International visitors:
"Ordinarily resident in New Zealand" means those:
Proof of eligibility will be required for the New Zealand rate. Acceptable eligibility proof.
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. Book Paparoa Track online.
Huts: Limited availability from May
Bookings are planned to open in mid-June 2021, for trips that require bookings from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. The specific date that bookings will open will be added to this page, at least two weeks prior to the date.
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.
Side trip: Garden Gully
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.
Side trip: Croesus Knob
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/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.
Know the Outdoor Safety Code - 5 simple rules to help you #makeithome.
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.
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.
Check Paparoa National Park weather forecast – NIWA website.
During cold, wet and windy conditions, hypothermia (drop in core body temperature) can become a serious problem. From initial stages to unconsciousness can take as little as 30 minutes.
This can be serious and is usually caused by physical activity in a hot environment and not drinking enough water.
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 to 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.
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.
Before you go into the outdoors, tell someone your plans and leave a date to raise the alarm if you haven't returned. To do this, use the New Zealand Outdoors Intentions process on the AdventureSmart website. It is endorsed by New Zealand's search and rescue agencies and provides three simple options to tell someone you trust the details about your trip.
You can't 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 Pike29 Memorial Track is under construction until at least summer 2021 - it can’t be used until it opens. An opening date will be confirmed closer to the time.
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 |