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3.1 miles
Distance
129 ft
Climb
-2,448 ft
Descent
00:22:38
Avg time
-2,319 ft
Altitude change
303 ft
Altitude min
2,623 ft
Altitude max
2,622 ft
Altitude start
305 ft
Altitude end
-14%
Grade
-80.2%
Grade max
34.1%
Grade min
1,591 ft
Distance climb
3 miles
Distance down
587 ft
Distance flat
00:22:38
Avg time
Te Ara Koa Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
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Riding AreaFringed Hill Nelson
Nelson -
Difficulty Rating
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Voted DifficultyBlack Diamond (11 votes)
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Local Popularity
-
Global Ranking
-
National Ranking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeDH, AM
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Physical RatingModerate
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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eBike AllowedYes up to Class 1
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TTFs on TrailRock Garden
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Ride in RainYes
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Year Opened2017
Te Ara Koa (translated as "Trail to Happiness") opened in October 2017 after thousands of hours of graft from the Nelson Mountain Bike Club's volunteer builders.
5.1km long, dropping 700m, through native bush. It's hand built pure singletrack with plenty of small natural features to keep you on your toes. The trail starts on an easy gradient but is made challenging by a carpet of ancient tree roots and plenty of off camber. After the first 1000m it gets into a well-benched traverse and the flow comes at you thick and fast. After 3.5km you cross the historic Dun Mountain Railway trail, after which Te Ara Koa keeps on going at the same grade right down to Brook Street, just 10 minutes from Nelson CBD.
If you are fit and eager you can tick off the climb and descent in under 2hrs, but most people will take 2.30/3hrs at a steady pace with a long stop at the top to enjoy the incredible views over Tasman Bay to Kahurangi National Park and Mount Arthur.
The trail uses Ngati Koata and Nelson City Council land, who supported the build process. New trail grade in 2021
Access Info
Head up to the top of Fringed Hill from the Brook area in Nelson - the trail is signposted from the very top.
Trail Supporters
NMTBCSponsor
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 0 rides
6 Months
- 27 rides
- 21.0 km avg distance
All
- 243 rides
- Last: Oct 31, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Te Ara Koa Trail Reports
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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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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
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Directions to te-ara-koa trailhead
(-41.310730, 173.316650)
Photos
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Routes with this trail
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Aorere Enduro - Asia - Pacific Continental Round 1 Day 2
15 Reviews & Comments
N4T3D0G
Super rooty, Rocky and off camber to begin with heaps of speed it is easy to come a cropper. Very loose and dusty in the dry.
andylhigh
Lower TAK, below DMT, has a couple of really really big tree falls blocking the trail. I kid you not, one of them is a 1.5m diameter pine tree. The trees are such a pain to get round, I would call the trail closed until it’s sorted. Above the DMT, the trail has suffered a bit in the last rains but is ok to ride.
newbermuda
Really fun and fast G5 if youre comfy with natural bench cut. Feels less exposed than De la luna in silvan, and much faster. Upper section is a bit trickier with rootbeds but once you split from butters you can pick up the speed a lot.
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Nearby Trails
- Black Diamond 0 ft
- Fdh Link 1,280 ft
- Fdh 1,483 ft
- Butters 2,093 ft
- Fdh/tak Link 4,219 ft
Fringed Hill Nelson
- By NMTBC
NMTBC & contributors - #104648 - 20,218 views
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