Walking, strolling, hiking, tramping, backpacking. Whatever you call it, there is something to suit your feet within a few minutes of Hokitika. Some say we offer the best range of hikes and rainforest walks in the country.
Find your perfect walk by filtering through the walks in Hokitika options below or viewing our map of walks here.
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 5 min return Access: From State Highway 7 roadside at the northern town entrance. Parking available but can be walked to from town. 50 metre track leads to Glow-worm Dell. Features: Free viewing of glow-worm colonies. Please note that Glow-worms can only be seen at night! Flashlight recommended.
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 30 min for quayside and central town features. Longer if you want to see the whole thing Access: From i-Site & Museum, or any point along the walk. Features: Goldrush & river-port town historic heritage sites, buildings & statues. Brochure & information panels bring history to life. Augmented reality is available in some spots so bring your smartphone and get the app. Request a brochure showing the whole walk from the Visitor i-Site. Photo credit: Steve Attwood
EASY Time: 10 minutes return Access: Carpark on Town Belt East. Features: Best example of the kahikatea forest that once covered most of Hokitika township area. Regrowth forest but already 20+ metres high. Also delightful native ferns & orchids.
EASY Access: Readily accessible from Beach St, via Weld Lane, Sunset Point Rd & several other access roads (see map). Features: Wonderful wild beach, black sand & pebbles (including pounamu-jade), driftwood, mountain views, sunsets, sunrise, & starry nights. Walks, picnicking, fossicking for pebbles & driftwood, sandcastles, swimming (for the experienced only), surfing, & surfcasting. Keep your eyes open for the Little Blue Penguin but please respect their space!
EASY Time: 5 minutes walk from town centre. Access: By foot, along beach, beach track, or Quayside section of Heritage Walk. By road via Sunset Point Rd. Features: Sunsets, sunrises & starry nights. Hokitika rivermouth & beach. Views of Aoraki Mount Cook & Tasman (Horo Kawau). Tambo ‘shipwreck’. Information panels. Walks, picnicing, beach fossicking, fishing, & whitebaiting.
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 15 minute return Access: 25km east of Hokitika. Turn inland onto Stafford St from SH6/Fitzherbert St and follow the yellow signs saying Hokitika Gorge. Be prepared for lots of turning! (Passes Kowhitirangi Incident memorial on route). Features: Top rated activity in Hokitika on TripAdvisor! Wheelchair accessible viewpoint overlooking a magnificent granite gorge with milky blue-green pools, backed by cliffs and fine rimu forest. Head further along to a swingbridge and then the edge of the Gorge itself. Take care as some dropoffs on the south bank. Photo credit: Adrienne Sidal
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 15 min one way Access: North of the main lake carpark and camping area. Features: Leads to a very small but secluded beach through native bush. A good place to head for a swim.
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 10 minute loop Access: At southern end of camping area Features: Pretty sand dune forest & circles an old black sand gold dredge pond. Abundant wildlife.
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 15 minutes one way Access: From lake access road. Ends close to camping area Features: Tree ferns, kamahi & totara forest on old sand dunes. Small panels identify tree and shrub species. Fun for the kids.
EASY-MODERATE - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 2 hours one way. 6 km Access: 8km south of Hokitika on SH6. Or start 3km from Rimu on Rimu-Ross Rd Features: Follows old logging tramway route through a cross section of West Coast bush history. It crosses a diverse range of landscapes including boardwalked wetlands, natural terrace rimu forest and regenerating native forest & pine, eucalypt & monterey cypress plantings. Detour to lakeside Picnic Point along fine rimu-forest ridge worthwhile (40 minute return trip detour to Picnic Point). Open to mountain biking as well.
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 20 minutes return. Access: Carpark 9km south of Hokitika just off SH6. Features: Intriguing walk through rare remnant of sand dune totara forest. Wonderful lonely driftwood-strewn beach.
EASY / MODERATE Time: 1 hour return / 3-4 hours one way Access: Carpark at The Landing at the northern end of Lake Kaniere. Ends at Kennedy Ck near Kaniere Forks Power Station. A shorter easy section from The Landing to Wards Rd (1 hour return) is most popular. Features: Follows historic, but still used, Kaniere Forks power station water-race, through virgin and regrowth forest. Freshwater mussels, cray and the odd trout may be spotted. Open to mountain biking.
HARD MULTI-DAY Time: 4-5 days Access: Turn off the Kokatahi/Lake Kaniere circuit road at the sign post “Access to Toaroha Valley”, cross the bridge over the Kokatahi River and follow the road as far as your vehicle will allow. Farm gates should be left as they are found. Permission to cross the farmland must be obtained from the leaseholder, Terry Sheridan, telephone +64 3 755 7967. Alternatively access can be gained from the Whitcombe Valley Road (Hokitika Gorge Road) and the route walked in the reverse order to that described below. Features: This is a classic West Coast trail. This route traverses rugged river valleys and crosses two alpine saddles. The alpine sections demand experience and good route finding skills in other than fine weather conditions. Throughout winter and into late spring the alpine areas will have a cover of snow.
See DoC for up to date track and weather information.
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok Time: 10 minutes return. 600 m Access: Sunny Bight picnic area. Features: Best short loop walk through fine virgin Kahikatea forest. Along the way you will notice small panels that identify tree and shrub species.
HARD MULTI-DAY Time: 3-4 days one way to Whitcombe Pass Access: Access from Hokitika is via the Kaniere/Kowhitirangi Road travelling toward the Hokitika Gorge some 30 km inland from Hokitika. After leaving the sealed road, cross two concrete bridges (Diedrich and Granite Creeks). A side road to the left some 100 metres past the second bridge leads to the Whitcombe road end. This side road is signposted “Access to Whitcombe Valley”. The road is prone to flooding part way along and is sometimes left impassable to vehicles. A gate part way in is sometimes locked. At this point there is good parking for vehicles. Beyond the gate the road is suitable for 4WD vehicles only. Features: This is a classic Trans Alpine trail. The Whitcombe Pass Track takes you through the very rugged bush clad valleys of the lower Hokitika and Whitcombe Rivers to the Main Divide for stunning views.
CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO TRACK DAMAGE
EASY Time: 15 minutes one way. Access: Carpark opposite Milltown Rd. Features: Small inlet on the north eastern shores of the lake. Best short walk through fine rimu forest. Ends at sheltered swimming & picnic beach.
EASY Time: 2 minutes. Access: Carpark beside bridge at Dorothy Falls Rd on eastern side of lake. Features: Short path to pool at base of best local falls. Awesome in a good rain.
MODERATE Time: 4 hours one way Access: Carpark just south of southern end of lake. Follows western shore of lake. Ends at Sunny Bight at northern end of lake. Features: Lush forest, great lake and mountain views, bays and beaches. Open to mountain biking.
HARD & STEEP Time: 7 hours return. 7.6 km Access: Signposted on Dorothy Falls Rd just south of Hans Bay. Features: Best local access to open mountain tops. Panoramic views of Southern Alps, Lake Kaniere, coastal plains and Hokitika. Must be fit. Good footwear required.
EASY Time: 10 min one way Access: Turn off SH73, 1 km east of Kumara onto a metalled road running alongside a water race Features: Walk passes through stone-fields of old goldmining tailings & manuka forest to huge glacier-deposited boulder, too big for the early miners to move or break.
MODERATE Time: 4 hours one way. 8 km. Access: Starts at Goldsborough camping area. Ends on Callaghans Rd. Walk back along road or return transport required. Features: Both ends of track feature signs of historic goldmining, including fine tunnels on Shamrock Ck. The higher portions of the track are one of the best remaining local examples of hill-country rimu & miro forest.
MODERATE Time: 1.5 hour loop Access: Starts at Goldsborough camping area, crosses creek & climbs via German Gully Track to Scandinavian Hill Rd. Turn north here and return by Goffs Track & part of the Goldsborough Track. Features: Historic goldmining features in regrowth native forest.
EASY Time: 20 minute loop Access: Signposted on Stafford-Goldsborough roadside with carpark. Features: Track enters and exits through old goldmining tailrace tunnels and meanders through old gold workings. Passes through regenerating rimu, kamahi and tree fern forest. A great place to see glowworms at night.
MODERATE Time: 1.5 hour loop walk Access: Carpark on Blue Spur Road Features: Old Chinese goldmining workings: races, stone walls and shafts in regrowth native forest. Great fun for kids to explore but care required due to steeper sections, hidden drops and shafts. Stick to the track, wear good footwear as parts can be slick.
HARD MULTI-DAY Time: 2-5 days Access: Access to the Styx Valley is off the Kokatahi/Lake Kaniere circuit road approximately 1 km on the Lake Kaniere side of the Mark Wallace Styx River Bridge. The track begins at a car park about 500 metres along the Dorothy Falls Road from the last road bridge across the Styx River and initially follows a rough 4WD route. Access to the Arahura Valley is 26 kms outside of Hokitika. Take Milltown Road off of the Lake Kaniere Road to the head of the valley. Features: Two beautiful river valleys with an impressive saddle. Side trip to Lake Browning possible.
EASY Time: 1 hour loop walk. Access: Carpark at the top of Rimu Hill, 4km over Kaniere Bridge. Features: Panoramic views of the Hokitika valley, and access to displays on the gold mining heritage of the area.
EASY Time: 10 min one way Access: Walk starts from the top of St James Street near Visitor Centre. Features: Part of the Ross Water Race Walkway. Short zig zags uphill before entering the Cemetery. Interesting headstones and great views.
MODERATE / HARD Time: 7 hours return. 18 km Access: Features: Rough unmaintained road to the top of Mount Greenland. Old miner's pack track through tall rimu with cover of sub-alpine vegetation at top (905m). 360 degree views on a good day. This is a long tramp and good footwear is essential. NB: The road continues steeply downhill to the site of the old mining village at the back of Mt Greenland. This will add several hours to the journey and is therefore not recommended as a day walk.
EASY / MODERATE Time: 1 hour loop. Access: Walk starts from Ross Visitor Centre. Features: Follows Mt Greenland Rd up Jones Ck & loops back following water race. Replica miner's hut, several dam sites and tunnels. Passes through old Ross cemetery with views overlooking Ross and the Tasman Sea. Goldmining area relics to be seen on walk and at visitor centre.