The Old Ghost Road
New Zealand’s wildest ride awaits
Get ready for a unique wilderness adventure. There's no other trail on the planet quite like the Old Ghost Road — an extraordinary feat of modern-day trail-building along an 85-km single-track ride that connects long-forgotten gold mining tracks.
It's the ultimate backcountry mountain biking and hiking trail, journeying deep into Kahurangi National Park and following in the footsteps of the 19th-century pioneers who founded the remote ghost towns en route.
Book your winter adventure, ride the Old Ghost Road, stay for just $100
Let the sun rise and set over your next adventure and experience the Old Ghost Road this winter. Imagine crisp alpine mornings, epic mountain top vistas, crystal clear night skies, quiet trails, and all the wilderness that comes between. All this for an exceptional $100 flat rate* to cover your cosy, hut accommodation. There may never be a better, more beautiful time to ride the trail.
* The flat rate allows for up to 4 nights' hut accommodation.
The trail
The 85-km Old Ghost Road is a must-do challenge for experienced mountain bikers and fit walkers. The West Coast landscapes it traverses are breathtakingly impressive: sheer-sided valleys cloaked in misty forest, rushing rivers thundering through gorges, spectacular mountain tops with views to match.
Trailside mining relics and ghost towns punctuate the long climb on day one, but eerie silences are less common thanks to the native birdlife flourishing off the track. A predator control programme started during the build means many species, including great spotted kiwi/roroa, now inhabit the dense green bush.
In winter, you might feel the crunch of snow under your feet or tyres as you climb up to the Lyell Range and dramatic mountain views from all angles. Even in low visibility, the ridge sections are thrilling, as you make your way through the mist to Ghost Lake Hut, complete with woodfire and cooking facilities.
From here, there’s a snaking singletrack punctuated by a gnarly rock garden and the most technical section of the trail. Then, both riders and hikers can relax into their stride over the next day or two and enjoy the vastness of the Earnest Valley, towering forests, and the last leg of the original gold miners’ trail that follows the roaring Mōkihinui River.
Accommodation + Transport
There are four huts on the trail that must be booked in advance on the official Old Ghost Road website. These are equipped with running water, gas cookers, pots, pans, cutlery, crockery, mattresses and firewood for the wood-burning stoves.
The southern trailhead is at Lyell Historic Reserve and the northern trailhead is 3.5 km inland of the West Coast township of Seddonville.
Numerous trail shuttle and vehicle relocation services operate, albeit with some winter season restrictions. A list of transport providers, as well as helicopter shuttles, can be found on the official trail website here.
The Old Ghost Road traverses rugged and remote terrain. Good fitness and MTB skills are required, as well as all-weather gear and winter clothing. Check the Old Ghost Road website for more trail information, updates and gear recommendations.
