Waikato River Trails
Waikato River Trails
4.5
About
The 105km Waikato River Trails opens up beautiful land in the Southern Waikato region to the public. You can choose to cycle or walk just a part of the trail, or challenge yourself and experience the entire length, starting from the Atiamuri Village start point in the South through to the Pokaiwhenua Bridge Carpark in the north.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.5
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wendymagz
Matamata, New Zealand1,490 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
We stayed here in our caravan early this week – our second visit. It’s such a beautiful, peaceful spot, we love coming here. It can be found on Lake Arapuni Road, Arapuni in the Waikato region. Toilets are provided, also a kids’ play area, jetty and boatramp. It’s a very popular stopping place for motorhomers and caravanners – its’ free and two nights is the limit. RVs should be self-contained, and there is no restriction on dogs as long as they are under control. Along the Waikato River, there are many walking and biking trails and Jones Landing is an ideal starting point. We love it and highly recommending.
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Written 24 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul S
Brisbane, Australia29 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
When visiting relatives in Putaruru we always make a point of having a walk on the river trail and it never disappoints - with the river and lake on one side and the Bush all around it is truely magnificent. I do note however that it is starting to show signs of a lack of ongoing maintenance and there are a number of low cut stumps in the middle of the track that are quite dangerous. Hopefully this wonderful asset is not degraded and lost as time goes on. Well worth walking and taking in some natural NZ
Written 2 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neil16111496
4 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
My wife and I rode from Atiamuri to Mangakino (sections 4 and 5) on one day and then the short, pretty relaxed Arapuni Dam to Pokaiwhenua Bridge leg (section 1) the next. Loved section 5 - nice scenery, enough variety to keep you interested and some really fun up and downs if you fancy a bit of a 'hoon'. The Maraeti section was not so enjoyable. The ride takes you through some pretty ordinary country - dairy farms on one side of the river and cut-over pine forest on the other. But the least enjoyable aspect is the first 12 odd kilometres features a lot of step switch-back climbs and descents with a poor track surface that sees you scratching for traction. The last 3-4 kilometres is much better. Nice night in Mangakino though. Great meal and lots of laughs and singing with the locals at the Hui Hut and immaculately clean and comfortable accommodation at the Maraeti Lodge. Section 1 on the second day was a very pleasant but non-challenging ride. Can't fault the folks at WRT who organised the logistics for us - everything worked beautifully and without any drama. Employee of the year would have to be Rob the shuttle driver. Lovely guy, nothing was too much trouble, knowledgeable, articulate and genuinely interested in doing everything he could to enhance your experience.
Written 9 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracey Anne
West Coast Region, New Zealand51 contributions
Feb 2020
We went up here from the South Island NZ, with plans to ride the entire trail. However, when we arrived a large portion in the middle was closed and sounds like it may remain closed due to vandalism on this private land section. we rode some pieces but couldn't really find where the track hooked up to the other sections, as signage was scattered and not very outstanding. The map is hard to follow and doesn't even look to scale?! We didn't ride the parts of the trail which included the main Highway, as it doesn't appeal to us to ride mountbikes aling a narrow busy road with large fast moving trucks passing quite close. The pieces we did ride were fun and the track is smooth and very do-able. WOuld be perfect if it was all off-road and linked up at each section, with a more accurate and informative map and details :)
Written 10 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alison M
Hamilton, New Zealand1 contribution
Aug 2013 • Couples
My husband and I have now ridden 2 sections and thoroughly enjoyed both. The Karapiro - Arapuni section is great. We did it in a thunderstorm and it was quite exciting. Last weekend
we did the Whakamaru - Atiamuri Section. Challenging at times but an awesome ride alongside the river. I would just like to mention that when we got to the Christian Camp area
a very friendly lady has set up a bus providing coffee, hot chocolate, scones etc. She has all her licences etc. and it was just what we needed at that point. The coffee was great. No eftpos so just remember to have a little bit of cash and you can enjoy a nice break along the way. She hopes to be there weekends and maybe Thursdays and Fridays. Hopefully all through January.
Even the local Cop gave us a cheery wave as he drove by. Next time he might stop !!
Alison M.
we did the Whakamaru - Atiamuri Section. Challenging at times but an awesome ride alongside the river. I would just like to mention that when we got to the Christian Camp area
a very friendly lady has set up a bus providing coffee, hot chocolate, scones etc. She has all her licences etc. and it was just what we needed at that point. The coffee was great. No eftpos so just remember to have a little bit of cash and you can enjoy a nice break along the way. She hopes to be there weekends and maybe Thursdays and Fridays. Hopefully all through January.
Even the local Cop gave us a cheery wave as he drove by. Next time he might stop !!
Alison M.
Written 12 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Becky G
Auckland, New Zealand84 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
A great Bike trail which can be done in one go or as sections. Over the past year we have biked this trail in sections and they vary quite a lot. The website gives good info or the AA Traveller Cycle trail guide. I am fit mid 50s cyclist and to give you an idea...
Pokaiwhenua Bridge to Arapuni is the easiest. Park at Arapuni and cycle to there return. Rhubarb cafe is awesome. The bit from Little Waipa Reserve to the Bridge is a trail by the road and not that scenic and I'd give it a miss next time.
Arapuni to Jones Landing use the road. The track was a nightmare, very steep and rutty and not a "trail" in my opinion. Suitable for experienced technical mountain bikers.
We rode Mangakino to Arapuni in one long day. Used Mangakino Shuttles parking at Arapuni and biking back. Mangakino to Waipapa Dam lovely, a few good hills and a nice trail surface (small amount of trail near end by the road)
Waipapa Dam to Arapuni was testing, firstly the 9 flights of steps just out of Waipapa, lots of steady hills and then the continuous switchbacks uphill at Waotu Road end. Stunning view at the top, Mangawera Swing Bridge was impressive also. Road section was quiet country roads. The last section was mostly down hill.
The last two sections we road from Whakamaru return. The ride to Mangakino was another easier ride by WRT standards.
The ride to Atiamuri return from Whakamaru was nice but the trail surface variable. If you don't mind paying for a shuttle Atiamuri to Mangakino is another lovely day ride.
This is a very scenic trail, with lots of river views and beautiful Waikato scenery, but parts are quite remote. Lots of spots to take photos and enjoy.
Pokaiwhenua Bridge to Arapuni is the easiest. Park at Arapuni and cycle to there return. Rhubarb cafe is awesome. The bit from Little Waipa Reserve to the Bridge is a trail by the road and not that scenic and I'd give it a miss next time.
Arapuni to Jones Landing use the road. The track was a nightmare, very steep and rutty and not a "trail" in my opinion. Suitable for experienced technical mountain bikers.
We rode Mangakino to Arapuni in one long day. Used Mangakino Shuttles parking at Arapuni and biking back. Mangakino to Waipapa Dam lovely, a few good hills and a nice trail surface (small amount of trail near end by the road)
Waipapa Dam to Arapuni was testing, firstly the 9 flights of steps just out of Waipapa, lots of steady hills and then the continuous switchbacks uphill at Waotu Road end. Stunning view at the top, Mangawera Swing Bridge was impressive also. Road section was quiet country roads. The last section was mostly down hill.
The last two sections we road from Whakamaru return. The ride to Mangakino was another easier ride by WRT standards.
The ride to Atiamuri return from Whakamaru was nice but the trail surface variable. If you don't mind paying for a shuttle Atiamuri to Mangakino is another lovely day ride.
This is a very scenic trail, with lots of river views and beautiful Waikato scenery, but parts are quite remote. Lots of spots to take photos and enjoy.
Written 3 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard L
Auckland, New Zealand24 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
Having driven to Taupo from Auckland many times I had never taken the turn off to Mangakino and visited the surrounding area which has some of New Zealand's earliest hydro dams.
The Waikato River trails provides a great way to gain a close up view of this often forgotten part of the central North Island. The trail is just over 100km long and completing it requires a good degree of fitness and reasonable mountain bike skills. However there are lots of options for those after a less strenuous ride while still wanting to experience this region.
Our first day covered the 38km from Atiamuri to Mangakino with a very pleasant stop at Neds cafe in Whakamaru for coffee and refreshments. We had left our car at Putaruru and took the Waikato River Trails shuttle to the trail's southern end at Atiamuri. This was easy to organise, very convenient and Steve can drop you off and pick you up at different points along the trail to avoid sections that may be a little tougher than you desire.....www.waikatorivertrails.com.
This first section of the trail is very doable for anyone who has ridden before and consists of good quality single track through a mixture of regenerating native bush and pine plantation along the edge of Lake Whakamaru. ( including the reserve where much of the movie Yogi bear was shot) Whakamaru to Mangakino has a few more ups and downs but they are only short and getting off and walking a short section won't detract from the experience.
Mangakino was a great place to stop for the night, staying at the very clean and quiet Managkino hotel, complimented by an excellent steak at the Hui hut restaurant just along the road, definitely not 4 star, but that's not what we were looking for. Both the hotel and restaurant are extremely good value and the service friendly and local. The town is bigger than expected and had a very relaxed feel with a strong Maori influence. The lakefront is lovely with the Bus Stop cafe on the water's edge a welcome spot for an ice cream on a warm day after a swim.
The second day was more demanding and more of a wilderness experience, which we really enjoyed. You hear lots of birdlife, ride through a range of vegetation with some of the closed in 'pine avenues' being spectacular and regularly have fantastic views of the Waikato river. My companion Rosco commented that for 80% of the time it was such good fun he couldn't stop smiling and the other 20% he was puffing too much to be smiling...but that happens when the 69kms includes 1650m of climbing!
After a decent climb from the working Waotu quarry, we enjoyed fabulous views across a 360 degree vista over the entire Waikato region before a mostly downhill on-road ride to Jones Landing and then on to Arapuni. Highlights of this section include some very impressive native trees in the expansive Jim Barnett reserve, the Arapuni dam and the Rhubarb cafe in Arapuni which provides a much needed watering hole after a ‘hilly’ 55kms of cycling.
The last section is easily the most popular of the trail being along the riverside, mostly flat and passing through some lovely wetland sections on very well made boardwalks.
We arrived at the northern end of the trail feeling 'pleasantly weary' and after the shuttle back to Putararu we headed for home and were back in Auckland by 7pm feeling very well satisfied with our two day adventure alongside the mighty Waikato river.
The Waikato River trails provides a great way to gain a close up view of this often forgotten part of the central North Island. The trail is just over 100km long and completing it requires a good degree of fitness and reasonable mountain bike skills. However there are lots of options for those after a less strenuous ride while still wanting to experience this region.
Our first day covered the 38km from Atiamuri to Mangakino with a very pleasant stop at Neds cafe in Whakamaru for coffee and refreshments. We had left our car at Putaruru and took the Waikato River Trails shuttle to the trail's southern end at Atiamuri. This was easy to organise, very convenient and Steve can drop you off and pick you up at different points along the trail to avoid sections that may be a little tougher than you desire.....www.waikatorivertrails.com.
This first section of the trail is very doable for anyone who has ridden before and consists of good quality single track through a mixture of regenerating native bush and pine plantation along the edge of Lake Whakamaru. ( including the reserve where much of the movie Yogi bear was shot) Whakamaru to Mangakino has a few more ups and downs but they are only short and getting off and walking a short section won't detract from the experience.
Mangakino was a great place to stop for the night, staying at the very clean and quiet Managkino hotel, complimented by an excellent steak at the Hui hut restaurant just along the road, definitely not 4 star, but that's not what we were looking for. Both the hotel and restaurant are extremely good value and the service friendly and local. The town is bigger than expected and had a very relaxed feel with a strong Maori influence. The lakefront is lovely with the Bus Stop cafe on the water's edge a welcome spot for an ice cream on a warm day after a swim.
The second day was more demanding and more of a wilderness experience, which we really enjoyed. You hear lots of birdlife, ride through a range of vegetation with some of the closed in 'pine avenues' being spectacular and regularly have fantastic views of the Waikato river. My companion Rosco commented that for 80% of the time it was such good fun he couldn't stop smiling and the other 20% he was puffing too much to be smiling...but that happens when the 69kms includes 1650m of climbing!
After a decent climb from the working Waotu quarry, we enjoyed fabulous views across a 360 degree vista over the entire Waikato region before a mostly downhill on-road ride to Jones Landing and then on to Arapuni. Highlights of this section include some very impressive native trees in the expansive Jim Barnett reserve, the Arapuni dam and the Rhubarb cafe in Arapuni which provides a much needed watering hole after a ‘hilly’ 55kms of cycling.
The last section is easily the most popular of the trail being along the riverside, mostly flat and passing through some lovely wetland sections on very well made boardwalks.
We arrived at the northern end of the trail feeling 'pleasantly weary' and after the shuttle back to Putararu we headed for home and were back in Auckland by 7pm feeling very well satisfied with our two day adventure alongside the mighty Waikato river.
Written 16 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom Q
Auckland, New Zealand404 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
A quick visit with a group of school students, cleaning up the parks. We cleaned up a lot of fallen leaves to make the park cleaner. But the toilet door is damaged and we cannot repair it.
Written 9 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robyn M
Canterbury, UK5 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
We planned to walk the length of the river trails over 7 days. We researched heavily before leaving but could only find limited information compared to that of which we got from word of mouth once here in nz. We discovered that despite the trails being advertised for multi day walking, you cannot freedom camp anywhere along the trails and there is nowhere to get fresh water (excluding where there are towns). The whole of the arapuni to mangakino section is uncampable and therefore unwalkable as you cannot walk the whole section in one day. Despite the walks being beautiful and fairly well kept, they are not viably set up for walkers despite the advertisement implying this. However we would recommend visiting the whakamaru reserve as it is stunning!
Written 14 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peterides
Auckland, New Zealand14 contributions
Feb 2017 • Friends
Day 1 of the weekend epic ride at The Waikato River Trails. A 65km ride was ahead of us. 9 riders started from Lake Karapiro after Ted from Tread Routes shuttled us to the start on a very hot February day. A very tuff ride for all. Loads of climbing with down and up switch backs in places. A very scenic ride with views of the Waikato river which the trail follows. Several dams were crossed during the ride. But also views of the surrounding farmland. The ride time for this part of the trail was five and a half hours plus stops. An all day adventure ride. We stayed at the lodge at Mangakino that we had pretty much to ourselves.
Day 2. We rode from Mangakino Lodge through to the southern end of the trail. Pickup by Ted from Tread Routes and shuttle back to the lodge for a shower and the trip home. This section of the trails, 38km, was quite flat and far easier than Saturday's ride. The ride time was three hours plus stops. With reasonable fitness, one could easily ride this part of the trail in both directions in a day without too much trouble.
Day 2. We rode from Mangakino Lodge through to the southern end of the trail. Pickup by Ted from Tread Routes and shuttle back to the lodge for a shower and the trip home. This section of the trails, 38km, was quite flat and far easier than Saturday's ride. The ride time was three hours plus stops. With reasonable fitness, one could easily ride this part of the trail in both directions in a day without too much trouble.
Written 6 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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