Hutt River Trail west

Hutt River Trail west follows the right (west) bank of Te Awa Kairangi (Hutt River) from the mouth to Birchville. At Moonshine Bridge the route crosses the river to use the east route. At Totara Park Bridge the west route returns to the right bank.

Covering 28.3 km, this demanding trail is best tackled by experienced walkers in good condition. Budget roughly 6 hours and 18 minutes or consider splitting it across two days.

This linear trail moves from one end to the other without looping back. A return journey by transport — or retracing the path — is needed to get back to the start. The trail is officially waymarked as HRTwst, so look out for the trail markers along the way.

As a Regional Walking Network (RWN) route, this trail is maintained and waymarked at the regional level. It typically connects towns, villages, and natural highlights across the wider area.