Best Mountain Bike Trails in Waitarake/Sharlands
Waitarake, formerly Sharlands, features 36 hand-built trails through forestry and native plantation near Nelson with everything from technical singletrack to steep loamy descents and national-level downhill tracks. The area offers a continuous 9km single-track descent once you reach the summit via forestry road climbs, making it a favorite for riders seeking challenging terrain. A permit is required to access the Tasman Pine Forest, available from local bike shops or as part of Nelson Mountain Bike Club membership.
Trails
Showing 1 - 10 of 23 trails
Extremely difficult
4.1m
31m
-571m
27h 26m
A true enduro trail with a mix of everything 'Nelson' in one trail. New trail grade in 2021.
Very difficult
217m
18m
2h 12m
A short climbing trail to the start of 'Aorere'. New trail grade in 2021.
Extremely difficult
1.5m
-328m
10h 53m
Super fun, fast and loose with the a few techie sections thrown in. Starting high on Kaka ridge with views over Nelson and the Maitai, the trail drops across open country with step downs and rollers before entering the pine forest with loose rock and roots and a super fast flowy finish. Good times on AM and DH bikes alike. New trail grade in 2021.
Intermediate
555m
15m
-31m
4h 3m
Linking track from 'Chings Highway' back to 'Sharlands Road' and the valley trails, or can be used to create a short 'Chings Highway'.
Advanced
855m
1m
-44m
9h
A short trail at the very head of the valley. Requires a steep 200m climb up from the road to get to the start.
Extremely difficult
1.4m
-378m
19h 34m
A downhill course with some great modern era history. First raced in 2000 as a bare hill post harvesting, this course is a completely different animal now that the new pine forest is more than half way through its rotation. This course has stories to tell of the old National Series, the new NZ MTB Cup, National Champs and an Oceania Champs where our Australian visitors were gob smacked and loved it. Loamy soil is now in abundance
Very difficult
1.1m
-205m
7h 31m
A sweet narrow off camber dream, dropping corners, some berms, in forest. Built by Hamish, Kurt, Liv, Easy, Loui and a heap of others
Advanced
805m
4m
-36m
4h 42m
This track wanders down the valey through some native bush, then crosses the stream and climbs up along some hard won ground before decending down to Bobs fern Road. Part of the valley trail. New trail grade in 2021
Very difficult
681m
-158m
6h 13m
Loam Ranger lives up to its name as it drops, literally, down through the exotic forest through a number of switchbacks, dropping corners and fast paced descents. With easy access and just being soooo damn good, will see you back around to do it all again. New trail grade in 2021