more stats
4.9 miles
Distance
1,636 ft
Climb
-1,611 ft
Descent
01:19:22
Avg time
25 ft
Altitude change
1,615 ft
Altitude min
3,061 ft
Altitude max
1,615 ft
Altitude start
1,640 ft
Altitude end
0.1%
Grade
-83.4%
Grade max
56.3%
Grade min
3 miles
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
1,946 ft
Distance flat
01:19:22
Avg time

Fernhill Loop Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Fernhill Trails
    Queenstown
  • Difficulty Rating
    Advanced Rate
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 60 in E-Biking
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 80 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #41869 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #55339 in E-Biking
    • #60707 in Trail Running
    • #1336 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T3 Demanding Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Sometimes hard to follow
  • Season
    All year
  • Alpine Trail
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Drop, Jump, Rock Garden
  • Year Opened
    1990
  • Land Owner
    QLDC

A classic Queenstown trail chock full of gnarly roots that started life as a DOC (govt) track, was shunted by DOC to the QLDC (local council) who the ignored it for a couple of years and closed it. Now licensed to QMTBC who will upgrade, extend and maintain it.
The west (Fernhill) side climb from the Wynyard bike park is a great way to access the McNearlyGnarly jump trail. The East (bike park) side has a great descent that links into Squid Run and there are awesome views from the top if you continue past the treeline where Beech As exits has a fantastic backcounty feel just minutes from the town center.

Access Info

Access from Wynyard Bike Park where the first 1.4km are nice and easy up to McNearlyGnarly but its gets steeper up until you get to the open to visit McGazzas bench and you'll have to push for about 30 mins. Also accessed via Beeched As where you can choose to descend the East side 'roots' into Squid Run or carry on round to Mcgazzas bench and down the west side to McNearlyGnarly

Disclaimer

Shared use track so be aware of walkers

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 12 rides
  • 10 miles avg distance
All
  • 77 rides
  • Last: Sep 19, 2026
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Fernhill Loop Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Sep 21, 2026 @ 3:46pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Sep 20, 2026
 reporter Tree cleared
Sep 21, 2026 @ 7:59am (Pacific/Auckland)
Sep 20, 2026
 reporter Tree down above midway. Trail has major damage at the main creek but passable
Aug 28, 2026 @ 7:20pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Aug 28, 2026
Aug 28, 2026 @ 10:45am (Pacific/Auckland)
Aug 27, 2026
 reporter Main creek crossing has washed away, not safely passable until the water eases.
Aug 25, 2026 @ 3:14pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Aug 24, 2026
 reporter Trees cleared
more »
Status:
on Sep 21, 2026
Variable
Avg: 4.06 (8 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to fernhill-loop trailhead (-45.035140, 168.639450)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      252 more »
      mtb
      64 |
      Feb 10, 2026 @ 8:49pm
      Feb 10, 2026
      mtb
      102 |
      Feb 7, 2024 @ 5:58pm
      Feb 7, 2024
      mtb
      78 |
      Feb 7, 2024 @ 5:57pm
      Feb 7, 2024
      mtb
      54 |
      Feb 7, 2024 @ 5:57pm
      Feb 7, 2024

      Videos

      9 more »
      youtuber Mountain Biking to the Top of Queenstown and...
      mtb
      11:10 | 1071 | Feb 19, 2019 , Queenstown
      youtuber Ben Lomond Saddle to Queenstown | Full Trail
      mtb
      21:31 | 198 | Nov 10, 2025 , Queenstown
      Easiest way down Fernhill Loop | Bike Travel...
      mtb
      5:38 | 753 | Jul 29, 2019 , Queenstown
      2019 Hei Hei Trail
      mtb
      2:28 | 5422 | Jun 11, 2018 , Queenstown

      Routes with this trail

      524
      Fernhill Loop via Beeched As and McNearly Gnarly
      ★ 4.7 • 12 km • 783 m • 4 • Point to Point •
      An alternative route to utilising as much purpose built singletrac as possible. Allow roughly 3 to 5 hours...
      658
      Moonlight Loop from Queenstown
      ★ 2.0 • 27 km • 1,526 m • 9 • Loop •
      Loop linking some of the best backcountry trails in Fernhill, starting straight from Queenstown
      505
      Lower Fernhill Tech
      ★ 1.0 • 6 km • 360 m • 15 • Loop •
      Quick pedal loop from town taking in Lower Salmon Run and Fingerling for some fun tech
      4.2 ★★★★★
      8 Ratings
      5 ★ 50%
      4 ★ 25%
      3 ★ 13%
      2 ★ 13%
      1 ★

      1 Review & Comments


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      Nearby Trails

      Fernhill Trails

      • By BrendhanTF Pro & contributors
      • #25721 - 29,145 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Fernhill Loop located?
      Fernhill Loop is located in Fernhill Trails, Queenstown, New Zealand. It is part of the Fernhill Trails trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -45.03514, 168.63945.
      ▼ How hard is Fernhill Loop?
      Fernhill Loop is rated as Advanced difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 0.1%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Fernhill Loop?
      Fernhill Loop has 1,636 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 1,611 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 1,615 ft to 3,061 ft.
      ▼ How long is Fernhill Loop?
      Fernhill Loop is 4.9 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Fernhill Loop?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Fernhill Loop. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Fernhill Loop?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Fernhill Loop are:
      • January (12 activities)
      • March (10 activities)
      • February (8 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Fernhill Loop? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Fernhill Loop are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Fernhill Loop?
      The estimated time to ride Fernhill Loop is approximately 1 hour 19 minutes. The trail is 4.9 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace.
      ▼ How busy is Fernhill Loop?
      Fernhill Loop is a very popular trail. There have been 587 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 678 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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