Maitai Cave Trail Mountain Bike Trail

After leaving Coppermine Trail, Maitai Cave Track crosses Sclanders Creek (not bridged), which is named after David Sclander, an early Nelson settler involved in the mining of Dun Mountain. The track grade is a step down from the well-maintained Coppermine Trail, and you will have to negotiate a few roots, logs and muddy patches. The track follows a natural embankment between Sclanders Creek and Maitai River South Branch, skirting the western fringe of the mineral belt before entering stunning beech-podocarp forest that features rimu, kahikatea and mataī, with Sclanders Creek flowing on the right. This area is known as Cawthron Park, a 1,000 ha piece of bush gifted to the city by Thomas Cawthron in 1913. This is one acts of the many acts of philanthropy by Cawthron, who was also the founder of Cawthron Institute. The gradient steepens a little in the final few hundred metres to the cave.