Timber Trail
“A super long ride across ancestral Maori lands- split it up or do it all in one really big day.” — Megan W
Overview
The Pureora Timber Trail takes you deep into the ancient Pureora Forest Park in the central North Island. It is made up of a mix of long and short ascents and descents, with short flat sections at the southern end.
Need to Know
As the trail is long, not a loop track, and has no cellphone coverage its strongly recommended that you make all your transport and accommodation arrangements prior to the ride. Most suited to spring, summer and autumn riding. Outfitters can arrange bike rental, accommodations, camping, showers and shuttles: thetimbertrail.com/
Description
For very fit cyclists, the trail can be ridden in a single day. For those looking for a slower-paced experience, the trail can be split across two days with an overnight stop at the halfway point. It can be ridden in either direction, but is typically ridden north to south, starting at Pureora and finishing in Ongarue.
The first half of the trail begins at Pureora Village where you can park your car. (Note: the Department of Conservation office located there is only open during working hours, Monday to Friday.) From there, the trail winds through the Pikiariki Ecological Area before climbing Mount Pureora. It then traverses the mountain 940 metres above sea level, traveling over two large suspension bridges, before heading down to the half way point and camping ground at Piropiro.
You can camp overnight at the Piropiro Flats Campsite. Alternatively there are a number of
B&Bs and Farmstays in the area which shuttle operators can take you to. If you choose this
option ensure you have arranged both the accommodation and transport to it in advance.
The second half of the trail from Piropiro to Ongarue follows the historic Ellis and Burn
Tramline crossing one of New Zealands highest and longest suspension bridges, the
Maramataha Suspension Bridge, before ascending to the to Ongarue Spiral. The final
descent from the Ongarue Spiral offers a free flowing ride for the more experienced riders,
before hitting the final flat section leading into Ongarue.
The first half of the trail begins at Pureora Village where you can park your car. (Note: the Department of Conservation office located there is only open during working hours, Monday to Friday.) From there, the trail winds through the Pikiariki Ecological Area before climbing Mount Pureora. It then traverses the mountain 940 metres above sea level, traveling over two large suspension bridges, before heading down to the half way point and camping ground at Piropiro.
You can camp overnight at the Piropiro Flats Campsite. Alternatively there are a number of
B&Bs and Farmstays in the area which shuttle operators can take you to. If you choose this
option ensure you have arranged both the accommodation and transport to it in advance.
The second half of the trail from Piropiro to Ongarue follows the historic Ellis and Burn
Tramline crossing one of New Zealands highest and longest suspension bridges, the
Maramataha Suspension Bridge, before ascending to the to Ongarue Spiral. The final
descent from the Ongarue Spiral offers a free flowing ride for the more experienced riders,
before hitting the final flat section leading into Ongarue.
Learn more about this trail on the MTB Project website
