Paparoa Track hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Paparoa Track is a 55 km Great Walk across the Paparoa Range in Paparoa National Park, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It runs from Smoke-ho car park above the old mining town of Blackball to the Pororari River at Punakaiki, home of the Pancake Rocks. Walkers usually take 3 days and sleep in two of the three DOC Great Walk huts, which must be booked. It is the only Great Walk built for both trampers and mountain bikers, and it is a memorial to the 29 men who died in the Pike River Mine explosion in 2010.

The route

The first day follows the historic Croesus Track, built for gold miners in the 1880s and 1890s. It climbs through podocarp and beech forest, crosses a suspension bridge over Smoke-ho Creek and zigzags up to the bushline at Ces Clark Hut, past the old Croesus Top Hut. The track then runs along the open tops of the main range, in tussock and alpine scrub, to Moonlight Tops Hut. On a clear day you see Lake Brunner, the Southern Alps and Aoraki/Mount Cook to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west.

Day 2 passes the junction with the Pike29 Memorial Track and follows the top of a long escarpment with steep cliffs above Pike Stream. Halfway along it drops into ancient podocarp forest and follows a ridge above Tindale Creek to Pororari Hut. On the last day the track descends into the upper Pororari valley, sidles along a limestone gorge through beech, rātā and nīkau palm forest, and ends at the Pororari River car park on State Highway 6, 1.2 km north of the Pancake Rocks.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 3 stages, about 17.1 km each: Smoke-ho car park to Moonlight Tops Hut, Moonlight Tops Hut to Pororari Hut, and Pororari Hut to Punakaiki. The mapped line is about 51 km, a little shorter than DOC's 55 km because it cuts the many small bends of the track. The highest part is on the tops between Ces Clark and Moonlight Tops Huts, at about 1,150 m. Day 1 has most of the climbing, about 1,100 m; days 2 and 3 are mostly downhill.

Highlights

• Croesus Track mining history: old huts, relics and a side trip to the Garden Gully mine area on day 1
• Ces Clark Hut and the tops: views to Lake Brunner, the Southern Alps and Aoraki/Mount Cook, and a side trip to Croesus Knob (1,204 m, about 1 hour 10 minutes return)
• Moonlight Tops Hut: sunsets over the Tasman Sea from the hut deck
• The escarpment: a long walk along the cliff tops above the Pike Stream basin
• The Lone Hand: a gnarled rock outcrop seen from near Pororari Hut
• Pororari River gorge: limestone cliffs, beech forest and glades of nīkau palms on the way down to the coast
• Punakaiki: the Pancake Rocks and blowholes, a short walk from the finish

When to walk the Paparoa Track

The track is open all year. Most people walk it from November to April, when days are long and the weather is milder; December to February is the busiest time, so book huts early. Hut prices are highest from 1 October to 30 April. The West Coast is very wet: rainfall in the park averages about 6,000 mm a year, and heavy rain, snow, ice, fog and strong wind can hit the exposed tops in any month. In winter, check snow and ice conditions before you go and allow extra time.

How many days do you need?

Most walkers take 3 days and 2 nights, staying at Moonlight Tops Hut and Pororari Hut. For shorter days, take 4 days and add a night at Ces Clark Hut, 10.3 km from the start. DOC says it is not practical to stay only at Ces Clark and Pororari Huts: that is 28.8 km and about 10 hours. Mountain bikers usually ride it in 2 days and finish at the Waikori Road car park. Plan a night in Blackball, Greymouth or Punakaiki before and after the walk.

Permits, huts and booking

There is no permit or park entry fee, but all three huts must be booked online with DOC before you start; without a booking you may be charged a penalty or turned away. There are no campsites on the track, and camping at Smoke-ho car park is not allowed. For 2026/27, an international adult pays $117 a night at Moonlight Tops Hut and $92 at Pororari Hut from 1 October to 30 April (NZ residents $78 and $61). Backcountry Hut Passes are accepted only at Ces Clark Hut. Huts have bunks, mattresses, heating, gas cooktops and toilets, but no food, pots or showers. Boil the tap water.

Getting there and away

The track is a one-way walk, so you need transport between the ends. Smoke-ho car park is at the end of Blackball Road, 8 km north of Blackball and about 30 minutes from Greymouth. Greymouth is the end of the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch. InterCity buses run daily along the coast road to Punakaiki from Greymouth (45 minutes) and Westport. The Punakaiki Beach Camp runs the Paparoa Great Walk shuttle each morning from Punakaiki, Greymouth station and Blackball to Smoke-ho, plus car relocation and secure parking. DOC advises against leaving cars at the trailheads: there have been break-ins at the Smoke-ho, Waikori Road and Pororari River car parks.

Money and phone signal

New Zealand uses the New Zealand dollar, and cards are taken almost everywhere. Blackball and Punakaiki are small, with a few cafés and pubs and no supermarket, so buy your food in Greymouth. There is no cellphone coverage on most of the track, and the huts have no power sockets.

What to pack

DOC's list includes a 40–60 litre pack with a liner, a 3–4 season sleeping bag, full rain gear, warm layers, a hat and gloves, a torch, a first aid kit, earplugs, your booking confirmation and ID, a personal emergency shelter and a distress beacon. The huts have gas cooktops, so you do not need a stove, but bring a pot, cup, plate and utensils, and all your food plus emergency spares. Bring insect repellent for sandflies, and avoid touching ongaonga (tree nettle) in the Pororari valley.

Safety

The Paparoa Track is graded intermediate (Grade 4 for bikes). The path is well formed, with many bridges, but the climb to Ces Clark Hut is rough and steep, and the tops are exposed to the weather. If the weather turns severe, stay in a hut or turn back. Slips and rockfall can follow heavy rain, and the Pororari valley can become impassable in very heavy rain or extreme wind: wait in Pororari Hut until conditions improve. Watch for mountain bikers on the shared track. In an emergency call 111 and ask for the police; with no signal, use your personal locator beacon. The nearest emergency department is at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth.