Last Updated: 21st Sep 2023

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Bottle Lake Blue Loop

Christchurch, Canterbury

Submitted by Alistair Bull

Last Updated: 21st Sep 2023

Beginner

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I've done it Done

Open

Grunt Factor: 8

Gnarl Factor: 7

10.0km

140m

145m

28m

  

  

  

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Trail Map

Type of Run

Urban fringe

Loop

Totally/mostly flat

Dog Friendly

Plantation/exotic forest

Run Makeup

5%
15%
80%

Gravel Road

Farm Road / 4WD Track

Easy Single Track

Average Uphill Gradient: +2.7%

Average Downhill Gradient: -2.8%

Trailhead

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Estimated Times to Run

1:25

Slow

1:00

Moderate

0:45

Fast

Bottle Lake Forest is an 800 hectare pine plantation. It is criss-crossed with tracks for walkers, runners, Mt bikers and horse riders. Many people walk their dogs here.

The forestry roads are named alphabetically - 'Apple' to 'Zulu' East to west with Apple being closest to the visitor centre. Avenues are numbered 10th to 28th from north to south.

The Blue Running loop is really well marked these days and has recently been adjusted a bit to move away bike and horse trails, and adjusted in lieu of current and future forestry operations.Occasionally the mtb and horse tracks can add confusion but a couple of seconds checking for the markers and you'll be back on track.

Enter the park trail from the carpark and pick up the white and blue runners markers. It's best to go anticlockwise. After a short stretch through regenerating pines you'll enter a wonderful flowing trail in established forest. Great underfoot. After a few kms you'll emerge into another logged area and turn north still following the blue running markers across a series of old sand dunes. Great quad and calf work in here! Eventually this re-enters established forest again at the northern end of the loop where you dogleg back onto the return half of the loop. Don't go the wrong way north- that trail takes you to Spencer Park. The last few kms are a mix of flowing forest trail and short sandy sections through regenerating areas. Somewhat suddenly you'll find yourself back at the beginning and the loop is complete. 

Ample safe parking is available at the park entrance beside the visitor center.

The park can be reached by bus from the city center on the 'Orange' line and swap to the '135' bus at Burwood hospital. Get off the bus at Waitikiri Drive bus stop and you have a 1km walk up to the park.

11 km

19 minutes

Yes

No

Moderate.

Maps are available at the visitor centre. About 1.5km in there is a road crossing where the track was quite overgrown. The entrance to the narrow track is to the right a few meters down the road.

Generally good.

Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Beanie/thermal headwear, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map.

Water fountain at the beginning of the track, otherwise no water on the loop.

The 4wd section of track has a tendency to get very wet with large puddles to navigate around or splash through.

The walk/run track crosses the horse and mtb tracks often. Keep an eye out for both and make sure to give way to horses.

Trail Legend

Isaac Salek

Isaac Salek

has completed Bottle Lake Blue Loop 15 times in the last year.

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Trail Reviews

Actually loved this track. Brought the GPX so I didn’t miss the sharp turn to avoid going out to Spencer Park. Some sand in the middle part but if you expect it you won’t get frustrated like me easily.

Tony Fallon

April 17, 2022

Chose to run here because it was a gale force NW'er and a fairly hot day. A born and bred local recommended the area to me saying it would provide me shelter. He was right.

A little bit disoriented at first, but I followed the recommended anti clockwise loop as per the WT description. Just be sure to follow the blue markers. Be prepared for way more sand than you'd expect!!! It makes it slow going in places.

I don't believe I 'fell off' the trail but like Rafael who posted before me, I also clocked 9.6km. And it seems to match the prescribed route??

I wouldn't choose to do it again but an excellent choice on a hot, windy as day.

Shonagh North

November 16, 2021

My favourite trail run in Chch if I only have 1h. Currently the blue loop is more like 9.6K. Great variety of terrain for stuck a short run. Very well marked but you still have to watch out in some parts not to take a wrong turn.

Rafael Kampel

October 26, 2021

Wow. Such fun! Thankyou chch..

Mike McManaway

August 13, 2021

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