more stats
2.2 miles
Distance
1,353 ft
Climb
-51 ft
Descent
00:40:13
Avg time
1,302 ft
Altitude change
154 ft
Altitude min
1,457 ft
Altitude max
155 ft
Altitude start
1,457 ft
Altitude end
11.3%
Grade
-13.5%
Grade max
60.3%
Grade min
2 miles
Distance climb
1,814 ft
Distance down
177 ft
Distance flat
00:40:13
Avg time

Tip Track Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Te Kopahou Reserve
    Wellington
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Advanced (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    55 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 100 in Trail Running
    • 55 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
    • 5 in Adaptive Biking
    • 80 in Gravel Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #104851 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #53168 in Trail Running
    • #141318 in Hiking
    • #3497 in Horseback
    • #736 in Adaptive Biking
    • #2478 in Gravel Biking
  • National Ranking
    #2,387 in Mountain Biking · New Zealand [+]
    • #1,189 in Trail Running
    • #1,976 in Hiking
    • #23 in Horseback
    • #12 in Adaptive Biking
    • #113 in Gravel Biking
  • Trail Type
    Dirt/Gravel Road
  • Bike Type
    XC, Adaptive MTB, Gravel
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Extreme
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes

The nastiest (and shortest) route to the top of Hawkins Hill. It's steep Really steep, but not technically challenging, but an Advanced level ride. Doing hill reps of the Tip Track makes great Karapoti Classic training.

Tags
Wet weather friendly

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 7 rides
  • 24 miles avg distance
All
  • 122 rides
  • Last: Sep 25, 2026
update trails status or condition

Tip Track Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Nov 25, 2025 @ 7:09pm (Pacific/Auckland)
Nov 24, 2025
Going up Tip Track is mainly rocky ground, and it can be run in almost any weather conditions. The descent towards Red Rocks gives you beautiful...
Jul 19, 2025 @ 12:55pm
Jul 19, 2025
Riding well.A few rocks starting to break through the graded line, but OK on an ebike. Would be as bad on a muscle bike as it was 30 years ago...
Apr 25, 2025 @ 8:44am
Apr 25, 2025
Rides good an e-bike - but could never get up on an analogue as too steep and long.
Aug 12, 2024 @ 8:44pm
Aug 12, 2024
Looks like it’s been recently graded with a machine. So surface is in as good condition as you can expect. Still steep AF though
Sep 28, 2023 @ 7:22am
Sep 28, 2023
Is in the best condition I can remember.
more »
Status:
on Nov 25, 2025
Dry
Avg: 3.76 (3 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (2,534)
close
      Directions to tip-track trailhead (-41.331770, 174.757120)

      Photos

      7 more »
      mtb
      102 |
      Apr 5, 2023 @ 8:01pm
      Apr 5, 2023
      mtb
      384 |
      Sep 18, 2016 @ 6:26pm
      Sep 18, 2016
      mtb
      280 |
      Sep 18, 2016 @ 6:26pm
      Sep 18, 2016
      mtb
      297 |
      May 1, 2015 @ 4:02am
      May 1, 2015

      Videos

      1 more »
      Wellington MTB - Tip Track to Red Rocks
      mtb
      6:45 | 1371 | Feb 4, 2019 , Wellington

      Routes with this trail

      ★ 2.0 • 13 miles • 2,910 ft • 15 • Out & Back •
      Great taste of technical singletrack from the middle of the city.
      39 miles • 11,222 ft • 8 • Point to Point •
      This route was used by the Wuu2k but makes for a good bike ride too - http://www.wuu2k.co.nz/course.html
      3.4 ★★★★★
      3 Ratings
      5 ★ 33%
      4 ★
      3 ★ 33%
      2 ★ 33%
      1 ★

      Reviews / Comments

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      • By arje WTT & contributors
      • #18246 - 18,443 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Tip Track located?
      Tip Track is located in Te Kopahou Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand. It is part of the Te Kopahou Reserve trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates -41.33177, 174.75712.
      ▼ How hard is Tip Track?
      Tip Track is rated as Advanced difficulty. The physical rating is Extreme. The average grade is 11.3%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Tip Track?
      Tip Track has 1,353 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 51 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 154 ft to 1,457 ft.
      ▼ How long is Tip Track?
      Tip Track is 2.2 miles long. The trail type is dirt/gravel road.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Tip Track?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Tip Track. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ How do I access Tip Track? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Tip Track are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Tip Track?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 43 minutes to ride Tip Track. The trail is 2.2 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Tip Track?
      Tip Track is a moderately popular trail. There have been 2,298 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 2,534 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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