Remutaka Rail Trail section

About the ride

This section of the Remutaka Cycle Trail traces a historic railway through the Remutaka Ranges, which connected the Wairarapa and Hutt Valley between 1878 and 1955.

Popular for day trips, it's a ride of two sides. From Kaitoke to Summit it's a gentle, wide rail trail Grade 2 (great for families), and from Summit to Cross Creek, it is a Grade 3 — with a 1 in 15 gradient.  This section is known as the Remutaka Incline, and is the steepest Rail Trail (former mountain railway) in the world.

Day trippers can start the ride at Maymorn (train station on the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa lines). For a slightly shorter ride, start from the Kaitoke entrance, where you’ll find the Wildfinder bike rental hub. If starting from the Wairarapa side, you can begin at either Featherson or Cross Creek car park. Parking is available at all of these points.

The Summit is a great spot for lunch or a swim in the nearby Pākuratahi River.  Camping is permitted at the Summit and at Cross Creek.  In this section there are five tunnels, including the 500-metre Summit tunnel (take a torch) and many historic bridges. Just down from the Siberia tunnel on the Incline side is the stunning new Siberia Gully swing bridge.

Find out more about the Remutaka Incline

After the swing bridge, the trail becomes an intermediate (Grade 3) mountain biking track. It is narrow in places, with people travelling in both directions. It is prone to washouts, and there are some exposed drop-offs to navigate carefully.

At the bottom, you’ll emerge at the Cross Creek entrance and into the Wairarapa Valley. If this is the end of your ride, you can arrange a shuttle provider to meet you here or ride a further 10km to Featherston. Otherwise, continue on to section 3.

How was your ride?

Let us know by completing the Remutaka Cycle Trail Survey and go into the monthly prize draw to win cycle books from the Kennett Brothers. Your feedback helps us build a better trail.