The easiest hikes in New Zealand, by the numbers
Of the 366 trails in New Zealand in our dataset, 44 (12 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; these are the 25 with the lowest rating.
Lake Emma Track has the lowest rating: 0 ft of gain over 1 mile, essentially flat.
Across the 25, gain runs from 0 to 456 ft and distance from 1 mile to 4.7 miles; the median gain is 159 ft and the median distance 1.4 miles.
18 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (4) or out-and-back (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Emma Track | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3% | 2,149 to 2,198 | 0 | |
| 2 | Māngere Lagoon Path | 1.4 | 0 | 0 | 3% | 5 to 52 | 0 | |
| 3 | Abel Tasman Coast TrackAbel Tasman NP | 1.1 | 51 | 46 | 7% | 0 to 46 | 10.6 | |
| 4 | Red Rocks | 2.3 | 25 | 11 | 6% | 9 to 65 | 10.7 | |
| 5 | Lake Matheson WalkWestland Tai Poutini NP | 1.1 | 59 | 54 | 8% | 330 to 422 | 11.4 | |
| 6 | Harwoods Hole Track (DoC)Abel Tasman NP | 1.5 | 62 | 41 | 7% | 2,339 to 2,433 | 13.6 | |
| 7 | Ōrākei Basin Path | 1.9 | 53 | 28 | 9% | 1 to 99 | 14.2 | |
| 8 | Wainui Falls TrackAbel Tasman NP | 1 | 103 | 103 | 12% | 63 to 203 | 14.4 | |
| 9 | Mararoa River Track | 3.4 | 54 | 16 | 3% | 1,367 to 1,443 | 19.2 | |
| 10 | Lake Matheson WalkWestland Tai Poutini NP | 2.3 | 109 | 47 | 14% | 325 to 451 | 22.4 | |
| 11 | Lake Tikitapu Trail | 1.5 | 169 | 113 | 10% | 1,389 to 1,558 | 22.5 | |
| 12 | Ross Creek ReservoirSouth Island | 1.1 | 248 | 225 | 14% | 196 to 431 | 23.4 | |
| 13 | Sutton Salt LakeSouth Island | 2.3 | 143 | 62 | 14% | 716 to 837 | 25.6 | |
| 14 | Lake Brunner Scenic Trail | 4.7 | 70 | 15 | 3% | 293 to 344 | 25.7 | |
| 15 | Mount Sunday Track | 1.1 | 308 | 280 | 28% | 1,686 to 1,990 | 26 | |
| 16 | Awaroa-Godley Head Loop Track | 1.3 | 269 | 207 | 13% | 262 to 477 | 26.4 | |
| 17 | Ross Creek Reservoir Trail | 2.2 | 159 | 72 | 11% | 266 to 444 | 26.4 | |
| 18 | Glentui Loop Track | 1.2 | 317 | 264 | 20% | 1,060 to 1,377 | 27.6 | |
| 19 | Around Blue Lake Track | 1.7 | 235 | 138 | 18% | 1,773 to 2,028 | 28.3 | |
| 20 | Nugget PointSouth Island | 1.2 | 338 | 282 | 33% | 43 to 274 | 28.5 | |
| 21 | Te Porere Track | 1.9 | 218 | 115 | 10% | 2,168 to 2,431 | 28.8 | |
| 22 | Mount Grey Summit Track | 1 | 422 | 422 | 22% | 2,599 to 3,061 | 29.1 | |
| 23 | Queen Charlotte TrackSouth Island | 1 | 456 | 456 | 23% | 170 to 624 | 30.2 | |
| 24 | Pororari River TrackPaparoa NP | 2.2 | 214 | 97 | 16% | 20 to 137 | 30.7 | |
| 25 | Separation Point TrackAbel Tasman NP | 1.1 | 430 | 391 | 30% | 99 to 419 | 30.8 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "New Zealand" here means the 366 trails in New Zealand in our dataset, not every trail in New Zealand.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Lake Emma Track.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.