more stats
1.1 miles
Distance
34 ft
Climb
-484 ft
Descent
00:11:46
Avg time
-452 ft
Altitude change
1,652 ft
Altitude min
2,123 ft
Altitude max
2,104 ft
Altitude start
1,654 ft
Altitude end
-7.5%
Grade
-51.7%
Grade max
25.1%
Grade min
745 ft
Distance climb
4,603 ft
Distance down
666 ft
Distance flat
00:11:46
Avg time

McNearlyGnarly Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
  • Riding Area
    Fernhill Trails
    Queenstown
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 100 in E-Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #344 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #1575 in E-Biking
  • Trail Type
    Machine Groomed
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, DJ
  • Direction
    Downhill Only
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Drop, Jump
  • Year Opened
    2019

Grade 3 Intermediate blue jump trail with grade 4 advanced options. About 60 jumps in total over 1.8km. All jumps are rollable and safely built to learn on but check them out before you huck
Named after Pete 'McGnarly' who organised the permission and funding. The 'Nearly' part comes from one of the legendary McGazzas many jokes whilst waiting for Pete to finally hit a jump!
The trail was built by Elevate Trail Building and funded by Atlas beer cafe, Veoila, the community trust of Southland and is managed by QMTBC. If you like riding this trail then show your love by joining the club or buying some cool gear!

Access Info

Access from the easy Fernhill loop west climb that starts just above the Wynyard bike park. McNeary Gnarly drops in about the 1.4km mark. Alternatively access from above by descending down Fernhill loop west from McGazzas table and you cant miss it.

Disclaimer

Please avoid riding when wet/snowy/icy/frosty/earthquaqe etc. Thanks!

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 66 rides
  • 13 miles avg distance
All
  • 798 rides
  • Last: Sep 1, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

McNearlyGnarly Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Aug 17, 2026 @ 12:14pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Aug 16, 2026
 Running great, cheers team
Aug 13, 2026 @ 3:30pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Aug 12, 2026
 reporter Full trail open again. The middle section is still a little soft so could possibly close again depending on weather
Jul 24, 2026 @ 12:43pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Jul 23, 2026
 reporter Middle section after small road gap closed this weekend to protect recent work from wet weather. Can rejoin at the next 180 berm down the fireroad.
Jul 17, 2026 @ 3:25pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Jul 16, 2026
 reporter Top and bottom section open again for the weekend
Jul 15, 2026 @ 6:33pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Jul 14, 2026
 Trail advisory for Thursday 16 July A commercial film shoot will be taking place on the lower section of McNearly Gnarly and around the creek...
more »
Status:
on Aug 17, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.69 (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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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Used
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  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
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  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

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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 mcnearlygnarly trailhead (-45.031290, 168.634700)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        234 more »
        mtb
        117 |
        Jul 20, 2025 @ 5:48pm
        Jul 20, 2025
        mtb
        73 |
        Feb 7, 2024 @ 6:17pm
        Feb 7, 2024
        mtb
        93 |
        Dec 3, 2023 @ 8:35pm
        Dec 3, 2023
        mtb
        97 |
        Dec 3, 2023 @ 8:27pm
        Dec 3, 2023

        Videos

        14 more »
        youtuber Agata down McGnearly Gnarly Queenstown...
        mtb
        4:08 | 2761 | Jan 14, 2020 , Queenstown
        youtuber Best flow/jump trail in the southern...
        mtb
        4:13 | 1747 | Nov 28, 2019 , Queenstown
        youtuber First hits in QUEENSTOWN NZ!
        mtb
        11:39 | 164 | Feb 19, 2026 , Queenstown
        McGazza Fest 2025 Chainless Race &...
        mtb
        14:19 | 118 | May 11, 2025 , Queenstown

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        5 ★ 90%
        4 ★ 7%
        3 ★
        2 ★ 3%
        1 ★

        9 Reviews & Comments


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        Frequently Asked Questions About McNearlyGnarly

        ▼ Where is McNearlyGnarly located?
        McNearlyGnarly is located in Fernhill Trails, Queenstown, New Zealand. It is part of the Fernhill Trails trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -45.03129, 168.6347.
        ▼ How hard is McNearlyGnarly?
        McNearlyGnarly is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 7.5%.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for McNearlyGnarly?
        McNearlyGnarly has 34 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 484 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 1,652 ft to 2,123 ft.
        ▼ Is McNearlyGnarly a point to point trail?
        Yes, McNearlyGnarly is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is machine groomed.
        ▼ How long is McNearlyGnarly?
        McNearlyGnarly is 1.1 miles long. The trail type is machine groomed.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on McNearlyGnarly?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on McNearlyGnarly. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride McNearlyGnarly?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride McNearlyGnarly are:
        • July (62 activities)
        • February (53 activities)
        • December (41 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access McNearlyGnarly? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to McNearlyGnarly are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride McNearlyGnarly?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 9 minutes to ride McNearlyGnarly. 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 McNearlyGnarly?
        McNearlyGnarly is a very popular trail. There have been 8,683 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 10,184 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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