more stats
2,999 ft
Distance
15 ft
Climb
-240 ft
Descent
00:04:50
Avg time
-225 ft
Altitude change
945 ft
Altitude min
1,170 ft
Altitude max
1,170 ft
Altitude start
945 ft
Altitude end
-7.5%
Grade
-21.2%
Grade max
17.8%
Grade min
89 ft
Distance climb
2,749 ft
Distance down
161 ft
Distance flat
00:04:50
Avg time

Taniwha Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Tunnel Gully (Pakuratahi Forest)
    Upper Hutt
  • AKA
    Old School Single Track
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 60 in E-Biking
    • 70 in Trail Running
    • 70 in Hiking
    • 5 in Winter Fat Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #93078 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #45322 in E-Biking
    • #123263 in Trail Running
    • #136115 in Hiking
    • #8668 in Winter Fat Biking
  • National Ranking
    #2,091 in Mountain Biking · New Zealand [+]
    • #1,127 in E-Biking
    • #2,017 in Trail Running
    • #1,903 in Hiking
    • #140 in Winter Fat Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Only[+]
    Popular Direction Shown
    • Downhill Only for E-Biking
    • Downhill Only for Trail Running
    • Downhill Only for Hiking
    • Downhill Only for Winter Fat Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes
  • TTFs on Trail
    Rock Garden
  • Land Owner
    Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC)

This trail is wet year round due to multiple streams and springs dotted along it. Due to this its also heavily rutted in places, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's not a good ride. If you can pick your lines and are prepared to attack the rock gardens, stream crossings, and short pinch climbs you're in for a good time. In other words this trail rewards those who are prepared ride it hard and will punish those that don't.

Taniwha links to both Bee Line and 250 East.

Work has commenced to improving drainage for standing water but this will take a significant amount of time due to all work needing to be done by hand.

Tags
Creek crossingRock gardens

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 2 rides
  • 8 miles avg distance
All
  • 153 rides
  • Last: Sep 28, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

Taniwha Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jan 20, 2025 @ 12:28pm
Jan 20, 2025
Mar 18, 2024 @ 9:31pm
Mar 18, 2024
Dec 26, 2023 @ 5:34am
Dec 26, 2023
Nov 12, 2023 @ 12:50am
Nov 12, 2023
Aug 25, 2023 @ 3:29pm
Aug 25, 2023
 Would not recommend this ride in winter. Wet and very slippery, hard to get any grip in sections. Water running down the ruts on the clay below....
more »
Status:
on Jan 20, 2025
Variable
Avg: 3.64 (9 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to taniwha trailhead (-41.097510, 175.169470)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      4 more »
      mtb
      122 |
      Nov 27, 2020 @ 4:47pm
      Nov 27, 2020
      mtb
      110 |
      Jan 4, 2020 @ 4:02pm
      Jan 4, 2020
      mtb
      112 |
      Jan 4, 2020 @ 1:54pm
      Jan 4, 2020
      mtb
      131 |
      Jan 4, 2020 @ 1:52pm
      Jan 4, 2020
      River or creek 1

      Videos

      2 more »
      youtuber Taniwha @ Tunnel Gully
      mtb
      3:42 | 709 | Oct 21, 2018 , Upper Hutt
      MTB Trail Taniwha into Bee Line - Tunnel Gully...
      mtb
      4:49 | 631 | Feb 5, 2019 , Upper Hutt

      Routes with this trail

      26
      Medium Loop 2
      ★ 3.0 • 3 miles • 646 ft • 20 • Loop •
      A second medium loop option starting with Station Link, riding through new pine up on to Station Drive...
      14
      PNP Spring 2021 R3 - Tunnel Gully
      7 miles • 1,280 ft • 8 • Loop •
      Race 3/5 in the Giant Wellington PNP 2021 MTB Cross-Country Race series. Details and entries at PNP.
      TGE - Stage 3 Archived
      1 mile • 15 ft • 8 • Race •
      Stage 3 of the Tunnel Gully Enduro 2020
      3.4 ★★★★★
      8 Ratings
      5 ★ 38%
      4 ★ 13%
      3 ★ 13%
      2 ★ 25%
      1 ★ 13%

      3 Reviews & Comments

      Wookieetron5000
      Will be losing this track and all others on the upper side of Station Drive to forestry operations mid to late 2026.
      deskpop
      A solid blue trail and my overall favourite in the park - as others have said it is decidedly old-school in that it is wet and muddy and rutted pretty much year round. There are no really steep sections but a couple of really fun natural rock gardens leading to the stream crossings which give it a bit of tech.

      To me it is a grade 3.5 in the wet and easy grade 3 when it dries out a bit (which is not often). It is a good progression trail from Lower Pig but a steps below Bull Run and Freewheel in terms of difficulty.

      Some might turn their nose up at this type of trail, but anyone who wants a different experience to manicured flow trails will emerge at the other end soaked but wearing a massive grin.
      Wozza-nz Wozza-nz
      Proper old school mountainbiking, combine with 250 East for a great ride.

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      Nearby Trails

      Tunnel Gully (Pakuratahi Forest)

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Taniwha located?
      Taniwha is located in Tunnel Gully (Pakuratahi Forest), Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It is part of the Tunnel Gully (Pakuratahi Forest) trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -41.09751, 175.16947.
      ▼ How hard is Taniwha?
      Taniwha is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 7.5%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Taniwha?
      Taniwha has 15 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 240 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 945 ft to 1,170 ft.
      ▼ Is Taniwha a point to point trail?
      Yes, Taniwha is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Taniwha?
      Taniwha is 2,999 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Taniwha?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Taniwha. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Taniwha?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Taniwha are:
      • April (13 activities)
      • November (12 activities)
      • January (10 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Taniwha? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Taniwha are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Taniwha?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 5 minutes to ride Taniwha. The trail is 2,999 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Taniwha?
      Taniwha is a very popular trail. There have been 885 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 831 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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