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2.6 miles
Distance
1,082 ft
Climb
-472 ft
Descent
00:28:48
Avg time
608 ft
Altitude change
512 ft
Altitude min
1,163 ft
Altitude max
525 ft
Altitude start
1,132 ft
Altitude end
4.4%
Grade
-45.6%
Grade max
56.1%
Grade min
2 miles
Distance climb
4,308 ft
Distance down
1,194 ft
Distance flat
00:28:48
Avg time
Back Track Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
- Gravel Bike
- Adaptive Bike
- Winter Fat Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaArapuke Forest
Palmerston North -
Difficulty Rating
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Local Popularity70 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 50 in E-Biking
- 95 in Trail Running
- 95 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
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Hiking SAC ScaleT1 Hiking
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Trail TypeDoubletrack
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Bike TypeAM, XC, Fat, Gravel, Adaptive MTB
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DirectionBoth DirectionsPopular Direction Shown
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Climb DifficultyGreen
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Physical RatingEasy
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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Family FriendlyYes
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike AllowedYes up to Class 1
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TTFs on TrailBridge
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Land OwnerPalmerston North City Council
The old classic A two way trail open to bikers and walkers only, be aware of oncoming bikers and particularly in Summer, there are lots of walkers passing through as it is part of the Te Araroa National Walkway.
This is the main access trail for the park leading you up to Pūpū Rahi around 900m from the start.
The trail is a nice uphill climb to the Scotts Rd carpark, the surface is rocky and there are 4 creek crossings on the way up which can make your feet wet if there has been a lot of rain. The first part climbs through a gully of native bush before opening out above farmland which gives a nice view back to where you started, this is a good spot to take a breather on the seat kindly provided by the PN City Council. The second half of the track sidles around the hill steadily gaining elevation. This part of the track has a fun short downhill section before the last climb to the top. Back track is only open to bikers and walkers but it is occasionally used by farm and council vehicles.
Backtrack is an old paper road that is part of the Te Araroa Walkway which has reverted back to a nice natural 4wd drive road climb through native bush.
Access Info
Accessed by veering right after crossing black bridge at the end of Kahuterawa Rd.
Bike Park
Local Trail Association
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Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to support
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 1 rides
- 22.3 km average
6 Months
- 22 rides
- 14.3 km avg distance
All
- 101 rides
- Last: Jul 5, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
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Directions to back-track trailhead
(-40.470221, 175.612201)
Photos
22 more »
Videos
1 more »
3:52 |
513 |
Mar 15, 2021 , Palmerston North
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Nearby Trails
- Zig Zag Road 0 ft
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- Picnic Rd 449 ft
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- Shuttle Rd 1,342 ft
- By RoccoNZ & contributors
- #24003 - 4,772 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Back Track
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Where is Back Track located?
Back Track is located in Arapuke Forest, Palmerston North, New Zealand. It is part of the Arapuke Forest trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -40.47022, 175.6122.
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How hard is Back Track?
Back Track is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 4.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
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What is the elevation gain for Back Track?
Back Track has 330 m of elevation gain. The trail has 144 m of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 156 m to 355 m.
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Is Back Track a point to point trail?
Back Track is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is doubletrack.
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