Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush

Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush has lots of track options ranging from 10 minutes to 2.5 hours, catering to a range of difficulties:

• Nature Trail (20 to 40 minutes): Some steps and steep in places. Brochures are available at the Information Centre end of the Canopy Walkway.
• Kaiwharawhara Track (30 minutes): A gentle walk along the stream.
• Blue Trail (1 hour): The track has you mainly walking through dense Kohekohe forest. Steep in places and features an 800-year-old rimu.
• Yellow Trail (40 minutes): A challenging forest walk through Bledisloe Gorge.
• Red Trail (40 minutes): Some steps and steep in places.
• Circular Walk (30 minutes): Some steps and steep in places.
• Wilton Walkway (5 minutes): A gentle walk to the viewing platform with wheelchair accessibility.

See walking maps and learn more about Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush on the Wellington City Council website.

• Wheelchair-friendly paths run from the main car park to the Information Centre, over the Canopy Walkway to Cockayne Lookout.
• A step-free path runs from the Churchill Drive car park along the Kaiwharawhara stream to the Troup Picnic Lawn.
• The Wilton Walkway is reasonably flat and runs from the car park through the Fernery and on into a mature podocarp forest.

For a bigger challenge, link a few of these trails together to complete the Ōtari Skyline Loop:

• Follow the Blue Trail, Kohekohe Track and Yellow Track. Enter from the main car park on Wilton Road. Head past the Info Centre and down to the Troup Picnic Area.
• Cross the bridge and head uphill on the Blue Trail. After a 10-15 minute walk uphill you come to a wire fence with a stile. Cross over into the pine plantation.
• Walk uphill until you come to a track marker for the Kohekohe Track. Follow this track into the native bush.
• After 5-10 minutes, this takes you out onto the Skyline Walkway. Head down the 4WD track towards Chartwell and look for a sign on your right that will take you down into the Otari-Wilton’s Bush forest and lead you to the flax clearing. Take the Yellow Trail back to the Troup Picnic Area.