more stats
1.1 miles
Distance
586 ft
Climb
-8 ft
Descent
00:22:26
Avg time
577 ft
Altitude change
1,119 ft
Altitude min
1,706 ft
Altitude max
1,129 ft
Altitude start
1,706 ft
Altitude end
10.4%
Grade
-3.5%
Grade max
32.1%
Grade min
4,915 ft
Distance climb
364 ft
Distance down
276 ft
Distance flat
00:22:26
Avg time

Devils Staircase Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Dirtbike/Moto
  • Riding Area
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Local Popularity
    20 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
    • 5 in Dirtbiking
    • 5 in Adaptive Biking
    • 5 in Gravel Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #141693 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #353414 in Trail Running
    • #341412 in Hiking
    • #15024 in Dirtbiking
    • #17814 in Adaptive Biking
    • #48258 in Gravel Biking
  • National Ranking
    #3,177 in Mountain Biking · New Zealand [+]
    • #4,208 in Trail Running
    • #3,687 in Hiking
    • #90 in Dirtbiking
    • #348 in Adaptive Biking
    • #787 in Gravel Biking
  • Trail Type
    Doubletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Adaptive MTB, Gravel
  • Direction
    Uphill Primary[+]
    Popular Direction Shown
    • Uphill Primary for Adaptive Biking
    • Uphill Primary for Gravel Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Season
    Nov - Apr
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • Land Owner

Only the devil would put an unridable section or 4x4 track in the middle of know where and at the bottom of a rock garden with no other way out.

A clay surface, very deep rutted series of climbs and plateaus with each 'step' using having a deep puddle on it.

This forms the half way mark of the Karapoti Classic. Yep half way in and you have to carry your bike for close to 2Km.

Access Info

From the bottom of the rock garden

Tags
Hike-a-bikeRock gardensStairs
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

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  • 10 rides
  • Last: Mar 6, 2026
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Devils Staircase Trail Reports

Status:
on Mar 6, 2026
Avg: 3.84 (1 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to devils-staircase trailhead (-40.988260, 175.069230)

      Photos

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      Videos

      1 more »
      Devils Staircase.mov
      mtb
      3:47 | 2238 | Oct 2, 2018 , Upper Hutt

      Routes with this trail

      ★ 4.8 • 29 miles • 4,719 ft • 10 • Loop • Race •
      The Karapoti Classic The Southern Hemisphere's longest running mountain bike event! Based in Wellington's...
      28 miles • 5,261 ft • 14 •
      Karapoti loop from kapiti side using Campbell Mill road as the warmup and perhams to finish
      3.0 ★★★★★
      1 Ratings
      5 ★
      4 ★
      3 ★ 100%
      2 ★
      1 ★

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      • By nikholden & contributors
      • #21463 - 5,144 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Devils Staircase located?
      Devils Staircase is located in Akatarawa Forest Park (Upper Hutt), Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It is part of the Akatarawa Forest Park (Upper Hutt) trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -40.98826, 175.06923.
      ▼ How hard is Devils Staircase?
      Devils Staircase is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 10.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Devils Staircase?
      Devils Staircase has 586 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 8 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 1,119 ft to 1,706 ft.
      ▼ Is Devils Staircase a point to point trail?
      Devils Staircase is not a point to point trail. The direction is Uphill Primary. The trail type is doubletrack.
      ▼ How long is Devils Staircase?
      Devils Staircase is 1.1 miles long. The trail type is doubletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Devils Staircase?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Devils Staircase. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Devils Staircase?
      Devils Staircase is best visited during: Nov - Apr.
      ▼ How do I access Devils Staircase? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Devils Staircase are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Devils Staircase?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 22 minutes to ride Devils Staircase. The trail is 1.1 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Devils Staircase?
      Devils Staircase is a less popular trail with lighter traffic. There have been 120 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 222 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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