| Remutaka Forest Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1] | |
 Catchpool Valley | |
.png)  Remutaka Forest Park | |
| Location | North Island, New Zealand |
| Nearest city | Lower Hutt |
| Coordinates | 41°22′S 175°00′E / 41.36°S 175°E |
| Area | 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres)[2] |
| Established | 1972 |
| Governing body | Department of Conservation |
| Website | doc.govt.nz |
Remutaka Forest Park (spelled Rimutaka Forest Park prior to 2017) is a protected area near Wellington, New Zealand. Popular access points are south of Wainuiomata and in the upper Hutt Valley. The park covers 220 square kilometres (85 sq mi),[2] encompassing the Catchpool Valley and the Ōrongorongo Valley at the southern end of the Remutaka Range. Established in 1972, the park contains several short walks and six huts that can be booked and accessed by longer bush tramps. The park is one part of several local conservation areas, as it borders the Pakuratahi Forest and the Tararua Range.
The park includes the Remutaka Rail Trail, dis-established rail line that operated from 1878 to 1955[3] that is now used for mountain biking and walking.
In 2017, the name of the park (and range) was changed from "Rimutaka" to "Remutaka" following a treaty settlement with Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua.[4] (The former name continues to be used in some online documents.)
- ^ Protected Planet. "Remutaka Forest Park".
- ^ a b "Remutaka Forest Park". Department of Conservation.
The 22,000 ha Remutaka Forest Park encompasses much of the Remutaka Range. Easily accessible from Wellington, the area is popular with trampers and hunters.
- ^ "Remutaka Rail Trail". Department of Conversation. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ "Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua Deed of Settlement summary". New Zealand government. Retrieved 14 January 2019.