more stats
4,600 ft
Distance
-1,239 ft
Descent
00:19:34
Avg time
-1,238 ft
Altitude change
188 ft
Altitude min
1,426 ft
Altitude max
1,426 ft
Altitude start
187 ft
Altitude end
-26.9%
Grade
-70.2%
Grade max
0.2%
Grade min
4,442 ft
Distance down
00:19:34
Avg time

Kaka Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
  • Riding Area
    Waitarake/Sharlands
    Nelson
  • Difficulty Rating
    Double Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Double Black Diamond (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    25 in Mountain Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #118929 in Mountain Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Drop, Jump, Gap Jump, Rock Garden
  • Land Owner
    Tasman Pine

A downhill course with some great modern era history. First raced in 2000 as a bare hill post harvesting, this course is a completely different animal now that the new pine forest is more than half way through its rotation. This course has stories to tell of the old National Series, the new NZ MTB Cup, National Champs and an Oceania Champs where our Australian visitors were gob smacked and loved it. Loamy soil is now in abundance

Access Info

From Sharlands carpark head up Kaka Road Climb to the ridgeline then follow SW Kaka Ridge Road to the end.

This trail is maintained by the Nelson Mountain Bike Club. Please consider supporting the club.

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 0 rides
  •  
All
  • 4 rides
  • Last: Dec 29, 2025
c1c2c3c4
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Kaka Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jan 5, 2026 @ 1:50pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Jan 4, 2026
 reporter Closed due to a large number of trees down. Please avoid this area.
Nov 25, 2025 @ 2:59pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Nov 24, 2025
Tree down a couple of corners into the lower section below the road.
Oct 10, 2025 @ 6:47pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Oct 9, 2025
 reporter Open for recreational access
Jul 31, 2025 @ 11:17pm
Jul 31, 2025
 reporter
Jul 28, 2025 @ 2:17pm
Jul 28, 2025
 reporter TPFL Forests closed due to weather warning
more »
Status:
on Jan 5, 2026
Dry
Avg: 4.09 (4 votes)
Your vote: 0

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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
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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Slope Aspect
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Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to kaka trailhead (-41.265900, 173.326060)

        Photos

        24 more »
        mtb
        185 |
        Apr 5, 2021 @ 12:07am
        Apr 5, 2021
        mtb
        334 |
        Feb 3, 2020 @ 12:25am
        Feb 3, 2020
        mtb
        132 |
        May 7, 2019 @ 2:12am
        May 7, 2019
        mtb
        259 |
        Aug 4, 2017 @ 5:14am
        Aug 4, 2017

        Videos

        2 more »
        New Lines on Kaka
        mtb
        4:32 | 1537 | Apr 17, 2019 , Nelson
        Kaka Hill NZ Nationals 2016
        mtb
        3:45 | 971 | Feb 12, 2016 , Nelson

        Reviews / Comments

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        Nearby Trails

        Waitarake/Sharlands

        • By NMTBCTF Pro NMTBC & contributors
        • #91525 - 9,183 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Kaka

        ▼ Where is Kaka located?
        Kaka is located in Waitarake/Sharlands, Nelson, New Zealand. It is part of the Waitarake/Sharlands trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -41.2659, 173.32606.
        ▼ How hard is Kaka?
        Kaka is rated as Double Black Diamond difficulty. The average grade is 26.9%.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Kaka?
        The trail has 378 m of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 57 m to 435 m.
        ▼ How long is Kaka?
        Kaka is 1.4 km long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Kaka?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Kaka. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Kaka?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Kaka are:
        • November (2 activities)
        • June (1 activities)
        • July (1 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Kaka? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Kaka are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Kaka?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 10 minutes to ride Kaka. The trail is 1.4 km long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Kaka?
        Kaka is a less popular trail with lighter traffic. There have been 305 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 315 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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