Best trails in Paparoa National Park

This is a popular and short loop walk along the pancake rocks, blowholes, and surge pools. Get there at high tide to get the best effect from the blowhole. The track is high quality and stroller/wheelchair (with assistance) friendly for most of the walk. This track offers spectacular views, geological oddities, rich birdlife, and marine mammals. Great for families with children. Accessibility: The trail surface is paved and typically at least three feet wide. The grade is mostly gentle (all...

Pororari River Track provides the pedestrian entry/exit for the Paparoa Great Walk. It's a lovely walk by a river showcasing a beautiful coastal rainforest and amazing limestone formations. There's a stunning view of the river gorge from a lookout. A car park is available by the Pororari River bridge.

The track Punakaiki - Pororari River Loop track starts and ends by the Visitor Centre in Punakaiki and can be walked in either direction. It's a lovely loop walk alongside the river with bush, nikau palms, limestone rock walls, and a couple of swing bridges. At the turnoff, the track goes uphill gradually through the bush descending down into a car park, and returning along the road.

Truman Track leads to a great view of the beach and stairs that can be taken down to the beach. The sand covers rocks in places and can go from soft to hard quickly and sporadically. There's not much traffic in the area, and can allow for some seclusion. Please note that parking is on the inside of a curve, so be careful of traffic.

Alpine ridges, ancient rainforests, and dramatic limestone gorges define the Paparoa Track, the newest addition to New Zealand's Great Walk network. This point-to-point journey traverses the rugged Paparoa Range on the South Island’s West Coast, typically beginning at the Smoke-ho car park near the historic mining town of Blackball and concluding at Punakaiki. Most adventurers spend three days and two nights exploring the route, though adding extra nights allows for a more relaxed pace and...

Lush limestone canyons and towering nikau palms create a tropical atmosphere for the grand finale of the Paparoa Track. This journey marks the final leg of the multi-day trek, leading you from the riverside Pororari Hut down through the spectacular Pororari River Gorge to the finishing point at the Pororari River carpark near Punakaiki. The day begins with a gentle descent through an ancient forest where the birdlife is particularly vibrant. You may find yourself accompanied by the melodic...

Punakaiki Loop is located near Punakaiki Pancake Rock on the West Coast. The Pororari River track portion is the most beautiful and relatively heavily trafficked section, but when you continue walking up to the peak to make it a loop, there is much less traffic through the quiet forest. The track is well-maintained and well-marked.

Dramatic ridgeline vistas and ancient, mossy forests define this stunning leg of the Paparoa Track. As the third section of New Zealand’s newest Great Walk, this journey travels from the lofty Moonlight Tops Hut to the riverside sanctuary of the Pororari Hut, taking you from the heights of the Paparoa Range down toward the lush limestone canyons of the coast. The first half of the day offers an undulating traverse along the ridge, where you can soak in expansive views of the mountains and...

This track takes you to Ballroom Overhang located in the Paparoa National Park. It's a large limestone outcrop on the Fox River. Be prepared for several river crossings and expect slippery rocks on the way. The last stretch is a rocky river bed and slower-moving- There are also some great spots for swimming along the way.

This track in Paparoa National Park is a memorial to the 14 people who lost their lives here in 1995 when a viewing platform collapsed. The path passes through a limestone gorge and a native forest, which contains rimu and kahikatea trees. It leads to a viewing platform overlooking the resurgence of Cave Creek, where the river emerges from a cave system. The forest is a habitat for native birds, such as the tūī, bellbird (korimako), and weka.