Last updated October 2026
The Remutaka Rail Trail follows the 1878 railway route over the Remutaka Range between the Hutt Valley and Featherston, now a gently graded 18 km walk, run or mountain bike ride.
DOC grades the walking track Easy to intermediate and allows 4 hours 30 minutes to walk it from Kaitoke. When we checked on 18 October 2026, DOC listed the trail as partly closed on weekdays: “From July to mid-November 2026, weekday access conditions will vary while safety improvements are completed.
The trail may be open, operating under Stop/Go control, or temporarily closed in sections.” DOC said weekends remain open, and it also had an alert for ungulate control, including aerial shooting, in parts of Remutaka Forest Park. With tunnels, restored bridges and campsites, DOC calls it ideal for families with children, and it is popular with dog walkers.
Track Facts
Tracks can close at short notice for slips, storm damage or maintenance. Check DOC's current alerts for Remutaka Rail Trail on the day you walk.
Current alerts on DOC
Practical Information
- Status
- Partly closed when checked on 18 October 2026 (weekday access varies until mid-November 2026 while safety improvements are completed, with sections possibly under Stop/Go control or temporarily closed; weekends open). Check DOC before you go.
- Start
- Kaitoke end: Pakuratahi Forest car park off SH2, 9 km north of Upper Hutt; Wairarapa end: Cross Creek Road, via Featherston
- Distance from the city
- About 38 km from Wellington
- Walking time
- 4 hours 30 minutes walk from Kaitoke
- Length
- 18 km one way (Kaitoke to Cross Creek car park)
- Grade
- Easy to intermediate walking track; Easy (Grade 2) mountain biking from Kaitoke to Cross Creek Station, Intermediate (Grade 3) from Cross Creek Station to Cross Creek Road end
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed under control
- Facilities
- Toilets at Ladle Bend, the Summit, Cross Creek Station and Cross Creek Road end; camping at Ladle Bend, the Summit and Cross Creek
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation (campsites at Ladle Bend and the Summit run by Greater Wellington)
About Remutaka Rail Trail
The trail follows the old line that carried passengers between the Hutt Valley and Featherston from 1878 until the Remutaka rail tunnel opened in 1955. The gentle railway grade makes it easy going, and DOC says a bike ride from Kaitoke to the Summit takes about an hour.
Along the way you pass restored railway bridges and historic tunnels, so take a torch. Interpretation panels tell the stories of the line, and a viewing platform between the Summit and Siberia tunnels gives a panoramic view of the old Fell engine route climbing from Cross Creek to the Summit.
You can swim and fish in the nearby Pakuratahi River and picnic or camp at Ladle Bend and the Summit. DOC describes the trail as ideal for families with children and popular with dog walkers.
From Kaitoke to Cross Creek Station the trail is wide and well maintained. The section from Cross Creek Station to the Cross Creek Road end is still an easy walk, but has some steep drop-offs and is prone to washouts, so riders may need to walk exposed sections.
The Fell Engines and the Remutaka Incline
For 77 years, specially built Fell engines climbed the 4.8 km Remutaka Incline, linking Wellington and the Wairarapa. DOC explains that a tunnel was the preferred option but was unaffordable, so a “temporary” mountain railway was built instead.
The Fell system used a raised centre rail gripped by horizontal wheels on the engines and brake vans. DOC notes the Remutaka Incline was the third and last Fell system ever built, and that the earlier one on Mt Cenis in the European Alps had proved the idea.
Camping and Facilities
Greater Wellington offers camping at Ladle Bend and the Summit. Ladle Bend sits below the trail near the Pakuratahi River; DOC asks campers not to pitch under the damaged pine trees to the left of the trail just before the bridge. There is a pit toilet at Ladle Bend, flush toilets at the Summit, and a basic campsite with a pit toilet at Cross Creek.
Only light fires in the fireplaces at designated camping sites; portable gas stoves are allowed there too. Total fire bans apply in periods of high fire risk.
Getting There
From Upper Hutt, turn off State Highway 2 about 9 km north of Upper Hutt at the sign for Pakuratahi Forest; the car park is 1 km along a metal road.
From Featherston, turn onto Moore Street, continue into Western Lake Road and turn right onto Cross Creek Road. DOC puts the Featherston side of Remutaka Forest Park about 1 hour 15 minutes’ drive from Wellington over the Remutaka Hill Road.
Weather and Current Alerts
The incline is known for extreme winds and changeable weather, so bring warm and waterproof layers whatever the forecast. When we checked on 18 October 2026, as well as the weekday works alert, DOC had an alert for ungulate (goat, deer and pig) control in parts of Remutaka Forest Park from 10 August 2026 to 30 June 2027, including aerial shooting. Check DOC before you go and tell someone your plans.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Remutaka Rail Trail: track information, alerts and status. Track information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Greater Wellington Regional Council: regional parks, forests and track notices across the Wellington region.
NZ Cycle Trail: riding information for the Remutaka Cycle Trail, which includes the rail trail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Remutaka Rail Trail?
DOC describes it as a gently graded 18 km walk or ride. Walking from Kaitoke takes about 4 hours 30 minutes.
Is the Remutaka Rail Trail open?
When we checked on 18 October 2026, DOC said weekday access would vary until mid-November 2026 while safety work is completed, with sections open, under Stop/Go control or closed. Weekends remained open. Check the DOC page before you go.
Can I bike it?
Yes. Kaitoke to Cross Creek Station is Easy (Grade 2) mountain biking, and Cross Creek Station to the Cross Creek Road end is Intermediate (Grade 3).
Can I take my dog?
DOC lists dogs as allowed under control, and says the trail is popular with dog walkers.
Do I need a torch?
Yes. DOC says to pack a torch for the tunnels, which have uneven surfaces.
Where can I camp?
Greater Wellington offers camping at Ladle Bend and the Summit, and there is a basic campsite at Cross Creek.
Are there toilets?
Yes, at Ladle Bend, the Summit, Cross Creek Station and the Cross Creek Road end.
Where does it start?
From Pakuratahi Forest off State Highway 2 north of Upper Hutt, or from Cross Creek Road near Featherston.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- Track Facts: Track facts and line: Crown Copyright, Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026, CC BY 4.0. Elevation: LINZ (LiDAR), CC BY 4.0.