An abundant network of funky singletrack, playful cross-country and epic all-mountain riding can be found throughout Aotearoa. An epic landscape and phenomenal scenery, combined with world-class trail tech, make New Zealand a mountain-biker's dream. Whether you're a cross-country keen bean, a downhill fiend or anything in between, Aotearoa has something for everyone.
This page provides relevant, up-to-date, practical information about mountain biking in New Zealand. Check it out, and if we don’t answer your question, send us a message or book a Discovery Consult.
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Mountain Biking in New Zealand
By and large, New Zealand’s mountain biking community is best accessed at club level. Most of Aotearoa’s riding regions are supported by a local MTB club. And just like the rest of the world, that club provides trail beta, posts events, runs digs and organises group rides.
If you’re planning a New Zealand mountain-biking holiday the club websites are a great place to start. We’ve summarised Aotearoa’s main riding areas in the next section. Check it out, and if you like the look of somewhere click on the title to bounce through to the main club site for that region.
But First… Let’s Start With the 3 Questions We’re Asked Most Often
Do I Pay for Mountain Biking in New Zealand?
There’s no fixed answer to this one! It depends what you’re doing and where you’re going. Many riding areas can still be used free of charge. Others require an entry fee or temporary club membership to gain access.
Access considerations for Aotearoa’s local parks and trails vary, but are usually explained on the club page for the region. It’s always a good idea to check here first to avoid unnecessary or unpleasant confrontation on the trail.
Most of Aotearoa’s multi-day trails can still be ridden free of charge. But there is a catch – charges do apply for accommodation. So unless you’re chunking it out in one day, expedition riding will need to be paid for in advance. And as accommodation on trails like Old Ghost, Paparoa and Heaphy get snapped up fast, it’s critical to book early.
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How Do I Find Out What's On?
Participating in events or comps is a great way to add interest to your holiday and connect with local riders. Check out the club pages for your regions of interest to find out what’s on.
How do Shuttles Work in New Zealand?
If you’re hitting up one of Aotearoa’s multi-day rides you’ll probably require a shuttle of some description. There’s several options available by road or air. Depending on your logistics, you can be dropped at the start of the trail or picked up from the end. Alternatively, some companies will move your vehicle from one end of the trail to the other while you ride. Or you could connect in with other users to arrange a key swap. This is a handy option but remember to check the trail works both ways before committing to ride it backwards.
Organising a shuttle that best meets your needs and budget can be confusing, especially from abroad. We’ll be developing functionality around this later in the year. In the meantime, if you’d like a hand sorting your shuttle, send us a message or book a Discovery Consult.
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Now we've got the the big questions out the way, let's take a look at where you might go!
New Zealand's Mountain Biking Regions
Let’s get the juices flowing!
Below is a summary of Aotearoa’s main riding areas. If you like the look of a particular spot, just click on the title to bounce through to the main club page for the region.
Queenstown & Central Otago
Central Otago is hands-down one of New Zealand’s top spots across most biking styles. The hub for this part of Aotearoa is the busy, expensive and unreasonably gorgeous Queenstown. Queenstown is positioned at the base of the imposing Remarkables range. It’s characterised by mountainous trails, epic scenery and an enormous variety of riding.
Queenstown is home to New Zealand’s first gondola-supported MTB park. The Queenstown Bike Park contains over 30km of meticulously maintained downhill riding. The park is suitable for those riding at intermediate and above, with focus on the harder end of this range.
If the park scene’s not your jam, there’s a variety of phenomenally good (and shuttleable) rides just out of town. This includes Coronet Peak’s swooshy network of trails, the tight techy singletrack of Skipper’s Canyon and a handful of more advanced options on the Remarkables. There’s also a tonne of good local riding to go at including Fernhill, 7 Mile, Moke Lake and Gorge Road.
In the unlikely event you bore of Queenstown (or run out of cash), there’s more top-notch riding just along the way. Wanaka’s Glendhu Bay, Alexandra’s Matangi Park and the Naseby Forest are all popular with local riders. They’re not as groomed as Queenstown but a great option if you need a QT timeout!
BUT WAIT! THE WEATHER!
A word of warning before you commit… Whilst Central Otago boasts of some of New Zealand’s best mountain biking, it is a region of extremes temperature-wise. Summer can be painfully hot and Winter riding is virtually non-existent (the area transforms into a ski hub instead). This makes Aotearoa’s shoulder seasons pretty appealing, with March, April and November being particularly good options.
Christchurch & Canterbury
Christchurch and the larger Canterbury region offer an excellent assortment of trails close to town and further afield. Central Christchurch is home to Port Hills, Crocodile and Victoria as well as the Christchurch Adventure Park. The Adventure Park contains 44 trails ranging from flowy green goodness to challenging techy blacks and exciting jump lines. Lifting is available year-round as well as gear hire, lessons and beer!
Backing onto the Adventure Park is Victoria, an intricate web of downhill mayhem. Victoria is comprised of 70 intermediate – expert trails, with the harder riding on the southern side. Conveniently, the Adventure Park chairlift can be used to access the top of Victoria. You can also drive your own shuttles (parking at the Summit Road carpark) or if you’re feeling spicy, ride on up the road!
Traversing the city’s outskirts, the Western Port Hills sit adjacent to Victoria Park. These tracks are typically of a cross-country / all-mountain nature, ranging from intermediate to expert in difficulty. The Eastern Port Hills provides some excellent easy – intermediate riding alongside stunning views towards Christchurch in the North, and out to sea in the South. A little further West, Crocodile Park offers a variety of shuttleable easy – expert trails for cross-country enthusiasts.
Around 100km inland from Christchurch, the Craigieburn network provides a delightful range of day-riding deep in Canterbury’s highcountry. Craigieburn brings wild rolling hills, big views and classic singletrack to the table. Its longest route is the 24km long ‘Craigieburn Trail’, sitting amongst 17 shorter rides in and around the tussocky hilltops. Note that the region is frigid over Winter, and not accessible as a riding area.
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Nelson Tasman
The Nelson Tasman region offers some of the best mountain biking in New Zealand. The region’s trails are characterised by solid climbs and techy descents. Local riders are plentiful and can usually be found in Sylvan, Codgers or on the Fringed Hill.
Sylvan and Codgers are generally at the intermediate – advanced level, with a handful of blacks to keep things interesting. Fringed Hill is a solid couple of grades up, with greater consequence if you get things wrong. If you’re in the mood for shuttle support, check out Wairoa Gorge for the hard stuff or Cable Bay for some slightly easier options. And if you’re keen to get amongst stunning coastal scenery and mellower trails, Kaiteriteri Bike Park’s just an hour or so West.
If you’re chasing more adventurous riding, take a look at Canaan Downs. Sitting atop the magnificent Takaka Hill, Canaan provides a gorgeous campsite, a range of stunning easy – intermediate cross-country trails, plus the impressive and techy Rameka track. Winding its way through lush native forest, the Rameka lands you over the hill in quirky Golden Bay (probably necessitating some form of shuttle support). From here you have a selection of interesting options to explore ranging from easy Motupipi Hill to the steep and challenging Kill Devil track.
But it in no way ends there…
Should you find yourself in Golden Bay, you’re now in Heaphy territory. The Heaphy is one of Aotearoa’s Great Walks, but it’s also a superb advanced expedition ride of around 80km. It’s open to bikers between May – December and is usually (but not necessarily) ridden East to West. A ways south of Heaphy are the Old Ghost Road trail and the Paparoa – 2 more of Aotearoa’s best multi-day rides.
A touch harder than Heaphy, Old Ghost is nothing short of stunning. With ever-changing mountainous terrain, tricky technical sections and long flowy downhill, there’s enough to keep advanced all-mountain riders frothing for days. Paparoa, is similarly awesome, particularly if you manage to grab a window of sunshine amongst the region’s typically damp conditions.
The Heaphy, Old Ghost and Paparoa all require pre-booking and can be tough to get in on over Summer. If you’d like a hand with this, send us a message and we’ll do our darndest to help!
Wellington & Surrounds
New Zealand’s vibrant capital city is home to a range of good, solid day-riding. First and foremost is the ever-popular Makara Peak. Nestled in 25 hectares of regenerating native bush, these skyline trails provide over 40km of singletrack for beginners through to experts. On a good day, Makara provides views to the South Island. But be warned – Wellington is renowned for driving rain and heinous southerlies, so catching it on a good day is mission critical!
Also available close to town are downhill slopes of Miramar, the intermediate – advanced techy lines on Mount Victoria and the grade 3 town belt loop at Waimapihi. If you’re keen on venturing a little further afield, check out the Wainuiomata Trail Project, the historic Belmont Regional Park or the family friendly singletrack at Tunnel Gully.
Central North Island
The Central North Island is one of New Zealand’s mountain biking hot spots. Boasting an extensive range of trails, this part of Aotearoa spans steamy lush forest, geothermal terrain and deep green lakes. With Rotorua as its hub, Central North Island riders enjoy a high level of infrastructure, great drainage and year-round riding. The region is renowned for its Maori history and culture, making it an engaging exploration if you’re visiting from overseas. Bear in mind that Rotorua can suffer from a high crime rate, so keeping personal security front-of-mind is important.
Just a short drive from central Rotorua are the impressive Whakarewarewa and Tokorangi Forest trails. Affectionately known as ‘The Redwoods’ by locals, these parks offer more than 200km of flowy singletrack at all levels. The ‘Waipa’ section holds the area’s easier riding alongside a handful of BMX trails. Harder grade 3-6 biking can be found on the ‘Titikorangi’ side, as well as a skills park and dual slalom course. On the ‘Te Putake o Tawa’ section are a range of grade 3-5 downhill trails, and a super techy uphill challenge called ‘As You Do’. The Redwoods come with extensive facilities including daily shuttles, bike hire, repair stations, cafes, toilets / showers and watering holes.
If you’re in the mood for gravity assisted riding, Rotorua is also home to the Skyline Gravity Park. Though a bit of a tourist hub, the park holds 12km of intermediate – expert downhill trails, with year-round lifting. If you fancy something a little less manicured, consider the Whirinaki Forest or Rainbow Mountain. On the outskirts of the city, these intermediate – advanced trails wind their way through rougher terrain, ancient podocarp forest and the occasional geothermal swim spot.
Should you find yourself in the Central North Island, Taupo (pronounced ‘toe paw’) is also worth a visit. Taupo is home to Craters MTB Park as well as a handful of longer expedition rides. This includes W2K – a gorgeous 24km intermediate cross-country trail around the shores of Lake Taupo, and the 89km Pureora Timber Trail. Comprised of singletrack, gravel road and funky suspension bridges, the Timber Trail is usually completed in 1 big day or a couple of shorter ones.
Auckland
Though not renowned for its trails, Auckland deserves a mention due to most riders spending time here on arrival or departure from Aotearoa. There’s lots of trail networks in and around Auckland, most of which are at least a half hour drive from the city. Our pics for a sampler of the classics include Woodhill, Hunua and the Four Forty Gravity Park.
Woodhill is probably Auckland’s most popular riding area. Boasting around 100km of singletrack, it’s trail difficulty ranges from intermediate to expert. Woodhill’s trails drain well making this park a good option after rain.
If you’re keen for a more remote feel the Hunua ranges are worth considering. A mix of downhill, cross-country and all mountain styles, the Hunua trails provide around 25km of singletrack in regenerating native forest. As there’s also a camping area at the carpark, they make for a good option if you’re keen to ditch the city for a couple of days.
Named after its change in vertical elevation, Four Forty is Auckland’s only shuttled riding area. The park contains singletrack for beginners through to experts and offers full facilities in the carpark area. Note that the Four Forty is usually only open on weekends.
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Trail Grading
Grading for New Zealand’s mountain biking network is comprised of 6 levels from ‘Easiest’ through to ‘Extreme’. The system is aligned with most of the rest of the world and that used on TrailForks.
Most of New Zealand’s mountain biking areas have good grading and signage. If you’re riding in a new area, it’s generally recommended to start a grade or so lower than what you’re used to in to gain a feel for the style first.
New Zealand's Mountain Biking Etiquette
New Zealand is much like the rest of the world when it comes to trail etiquette. Respect other riders, look after the trails and always ride within your ability.
One point of difference is that us kiwis are still learning to share the trails with walkers and hikers. Historically, walkers have always ‘ruled the roost’ in this domain. Though most are pretty good at sharing these days, you do pass the odd grumpy one. If you do come across walkers whilst biking, please keep it friendly. Slow down, say ‘hi’ and throw down a big smile. It’s a great way to connect with other adventurers and chances are you’ll get one back!
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