Timber Trail

Timber Trail
Above the Piropiro Valley; typical of the northern section of the Timber Trail
Length	84 km (52 mi)
Location	border of Waikato region and Manawatu-Wanganui region, New Zealand
Trailheads	Pureora and Ongarue
Use	Walking, cycling
Elevation change	360 m (1,180 ft)
Highest point	940 m (3,080 ft)
Lowest point	200 m (660 ft)
Difficulty	Intermediate to easy
Season	Year round
Sights	Suspension bridges, railway spiral, native bush
Hazards	mud, trees, storms

The Timber Trail, originally known as the Central North Island Rail Trail or Pureora Timber Trail, in the North Island of New Zealand is an 84-kilometre (52 mi) cycleway (also used by walkers and hunters) in Pureora Forest Park, fully opened in 2013, with 35 bridges (built by DoC staff, community max workers,^[1] or contractors),^[2] including eight large suspension bridges (one of the longest on a New Zealand cycleway, much more stable than the swing bridges used on older tracks). It is one of several cycleways developed as part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail and passes through some of the last remaining podocarp forests of rimu, tōtara, miro, mataī and kahikatea, as well as some exotic forestry and regenerating bush. About half the trail is on the track-bed of the old Ellis and Burnand Tramway, including a spiral and tunnel.

It is easier to start the Timber Trail from Pureora (Northern end of the Timber Trail) to Ongarue.^[3] Although there is a hill climb up to Mt Pureora in this direction. Fit riders can cover the trail in a day.

There are three main access points to the Timber Trail:

• North – Pureora Village, signposted from SH30 between Te Kūiti and Mangakino.
• Centre – from Piropiro campsite at the end of Kokomiko Rd, Waimiha.
• South – Ongarue, signposted from SH4.^[4]