more stats
1.6 miles
Distance
462 ft
Climb
-158 ft
Descent
00:16:28
Avg time
305 ft
Altitude change
442 ft
Altitude min
771 ft
Altitude max
446 ft
Altitude start
751 ft
Altitude end
3.7%
Grade
-40.5%
Grade max
43.2%
Grade min
4,603 ft
Distance climb
1,896 ft
Distance down
1,808 ft
Distance flat
00:16:28
Avg time

Koru Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park
    Wellington
  • Ref Number
    #201
  • Difficulty Rating
    Green Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Green (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 90 in Trail Running
    • 70 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #112 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #848 in Trail Running
    • #22753 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Uphill Only
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Bridge
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Year Opened
    1999
  • Land Owner
    Wellington City Council

This is the main entrance track into Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park from the entrance and carpark on South Karori Road. It was built by Makara Peak volunteers and WCC contractors in 1999/2000, and opened by the then Minister of Sport and Recreation, Tevor Mallard. The section between the skills area exit and Sally Alley was built by the Salvation Army Rimutaka Prison Conservation Corps in one week in May 2000. There was a major overhaul completed by WCC and Contractors in 2023-24 to fix drainage and widen the bench to make it easier for beginners.

It begins at a moderate gradient above Karori Stream, before getting a touch steeper as it enters regenerating native bush and climbs through a series of three switchbacks. Afterwards the track continues up the hill with some brief flat or downhill sections to provide some respite for your legs.

About two-thirds of the way up the hill you can exit onto a short connector that takes you to the skills area. The last third of the track is quite undulating, with less elevation gain making for a much gentler ride. At the end of Koru, you can return to the carpark via Lazy Fern (grade 2), SWIGG (grade 3), do a loop of Magic Carpet (grade 2), or continue on up the hill on Sally Alley towards the swing bridge and the summit.

Due to the steady nature of the climb, and the narrowness of the track in some sections, some riders who are very new to mountain biking may prefer to practice their skills and get more comfortable by entering the park via the Allington Road entrance and using Rimu and Miro.

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 8 rides
  • 18 miles average
6 Months
  • 253 rides
  • 12 miles avg distance
All
  • 3,382 rides
  • Last: Sep 8, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Status:
on Sep 5, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.34 (29 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
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to koru trailhead (-41.297950, 174.721510)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        13 more »
        mtb
        95 |
        Mar 7, 2023 @ 8:09pm
        Mar 7, 2023
        mtb
        112 |
        Feb 26, 2022 @ 1:03am
        Feb 26, 2022
        mtb
        120 |
        Feb 26, 2022 @ 1:02am
        Feb 26, 2022
        mtb
        135 |
        Feb 26, 2022 @ 1:02am
        Feb 26, 2022

        Videos

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        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Trail Lists

        Routes with this trail

        31
        Makara Peak Grand Loop Climb
        ★ 4.8 • 5 miles • 1,484 ft • 5 • Point to Point •
        This climb used to be the primary singletrack route to the summit prior to and the suspension bridge being...
        34
        Makara Peak: Middle Peak Loop
        ★ 4.0 • 5 miles • 1,031 ft • 8 • Loop •
        This loop starts and finishes at the main car park on South Karori Road. It climbs at a steady gradient...
        67
        Makara easy-ish loop
        7 miles • 1,393 ft • 15 • Loop •
        An easy loop that still goes up to the summit
        4.4 ★★★★★
        29 Ratings
        5 ★ 59%
        4 ★ 31%
        3 ★ 7%
        2 ★
        1 ★ 3%

        1 Review & Comments

        longliveenduro longliveenduro
        Best uphill I have ever ridden...and I hate uphills! But this can easily be done even with my super heavy freeride bike! Nice work

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        Nearby Trails

        Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park

        Frequently Asked Questions

        ▼ Where is Koru located?
        Koru is located in Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park, Wellington, New Zealand. It is part of the Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -41.29795, 174.72151.
        ▼ How hard is Koru?
        Koru is rated as Green difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 3.7%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Koru?
        Koru has 462 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 158 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 442 ft to 771 ft.
        ▼ Is Koru a point to point trail?
        Yes, Koru is a point to point trail. The direction is Uphill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Koru?
        Koru is 1.6 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Koru?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Koru. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ How do I access Koru? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Koru are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Koru?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 17 minutes to ride Koru. The trail is 1.6 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Koru?
        Koru is a very popular trail. There have been 33,261 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 34,577 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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