Best Mountain Bike Trails in Benneydale
Benneydale serves as the gateway to the Timber Trail, an 83km epic cycling route through the Pureora Forest Park featuring stunning native forest scenery. The Timber Trail is part of the Nga Haerenga national cycle trail network and is renowned for its unique suspension bridges, including one spanning 144m, along with excellent grades following historic logging tram routes. Located 35km southeast of Te Kuiti in the King Country, the area offers a mix of adventure with world-class trail infrastructure, combining forest immersion with engineering marvels perfect for multi-day cycling trips.
Trails
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 trails
Easy
434m
-1m
9h 33m
This is a shorter option and involves returning to Pureora Village via Link Road. It is suitable for all ages and another family friendly option.Cycle the first 3 km of the Timber Trail then take the side track to the Caterpillar Crawler Tractor. The tractor was used to recover fencing material from totara logs during the 1930s and 40s. Continue out to Link Road before turning left and following the road back to the start. This is also a lovely walk, taking around 1.5 hours to complete.Source: Department Of Conservation
Easy
42.1m
501m
-744m
225h 33m
The trail heads off on a logging road before re-entering native forest on a flowing section of mostly uphill singletrack.Around 5km in (at the trail's 44km mark), the Maramataha Suspension Bridge swings into view. At 141m long and 53m high it’s not only an icon of the entire New Zealand Cycle Trail, but also a thrilling experience with its wobbly crossing over a tumbling gorge. This is a good place to spot the beautiful kererū, New Zealand’s native pigeon.The bridge signals the start of the last major climb – the steady ascent to Ongarue Tramway terminus. From here the trail follows the old tramway in a generally downhill direction, with the occasional short uphill.In places, the tramway cuts through sheer rock faces shrouded in thick native bush, seldom reached by the sun’s rays. And that means mud, so be prepared for the odd spatter on this section.Scattered along the way you’ll see remnants of the area’s logging past, and cross more bridges including the handsome 89m-long Mangatukutuku Suspension Bridge – a great spot for a picnic.Around 10km from the end is the Ongarue Spiral. The finer points of this engineering marvel are explained in the interpretation panel alongside, but suffice to say that it’s pretty loopy with the bonus of a spooky old tunnel. It is also truly unique, being the only bikeable railway spiral in the world. How about that?The trail continues to Ongarue, mostly downhill except for a couple of short pinches along the final section through felled forestry blocks and farmland.The official end of the trail is located in the middle of Ongarue township. At around the 82km mark you will pass Bennetts Road car park where you be collected by pre-arranged shuttle. The official end of the trail is 3km further away in Ongarue township where you can get a selfie with the official signage; shuttles can also collect you from here.Fit riders can cycle an extra 26km to Taumaranui via the Ongarui Back Road, the undulating and farmy Timber Trail Connection Heartland Ride that forms part of the world-famous Tour Aotearoa. This is a pleasant and possibly essential option for those who haven’t arranged shuttle collection back to town.
Easy
22.6m
2413m
-2831m
251h 19m
The trail starts at the Department of Conservation campsite and car park, well signposted from SH30.It winds its way through the bird-filled, virgin forest of Pikiariki Ecological Area. Not far from the start, a short detour leads to a 1920s Caterpillar crawler tractor, long-since abandoned in the bush and now preserved as a rather peculiar memorial to the area’s logging past.After passing through an open area of regenerating native and exotic trees, it’s a gradual climb up the flanks of Mt Pureora into the ethereal Cloud Forest with its verdant moss, gnarled trees and wafting mist. It’s a good place to get a bit Zen if you’re not in a hurry to get to the top.A ‘whoop’ or two is well deserved at the trail’s highpoint, 971m above sea level. It’s predominantly downhill for the rest of the day as the trail winds down the southern side of Mt Pureora and across the western flanks of the Hauhungaroa Ranges. There is the occasional lookout on the descent.Around the 22km mark is the first of the trail’s amazing suspension bridges, the 115m one over Bog Inn Creek. This is quickly followed by another biggie, the 109m-long span over Orauaka Stream.The trail continues downhill to Piropiro Flats where there’s road/shuttle access and accommodation – a DOC campsite, glamping, the Timber Trail Lodge, and Black Fern Lodge a few kilometres away. In the summer months, Piropiro has a particularly special atmosphere as a stream of bikers, walkers and hunters bring this usually quiet area to life.