Miners TrailBeginner - Intermediate
Submitted by Mal Law
Front country - easily accessible
Loop
Very hilly
Native bushRiversideOpen tussock/grasslandsOpen ridges/tops
Beginner - Intermediate
3:00 (Slow)
2:15 (Moderate)
1:30 (Fast)
-13.2%
+13.2%
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
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Description
From the reserve head right on the Queenstown Trail, following the river downstream for a few hundred metres before crossing it on a footbridge.
On the far side continue straight on uphill (Tobins Track) which climbs steadily to meet a gravel farm road. Turn right and follow this for a few hundred metres until you see a stile on your left (signposted Bracken Saddle)
Cross the stile and follow the trail along the fenceline uphill. At the top of the paddock cross another stile and turn left along the water race for a few hundred metres before picking up orange marker poles heading uphill across an open slope. This leads you into a beautiful gorged valley, past a derelict miners cottage (all that remains is the chimney) to a junction at 6.5k. Turn left towards Arrowtown and 300m later turn right again on to another 4WD track marked 'Miners Trail Arrowtown'
There's now a steady climb over the next 1.1k, around a couple of zig-zags to a point where there are orange poles on either side of the track. This is easily missed so keep a sharp eye out for it. Turn right off the farm track on to single track and follow through tussock for the next 1.8k that takes you over the highest point on the run and then descends, sometimes quite steeply, towards the Arrow Valley.
The next junction is an obvious 4WD track - turn right here and follow it downhill for another 1.8k before truning left on the rocky 4WD track that runs above the Arrow River. After another 1.7k you'll come to the footbridge over the river. Here you have the choice of staying in the river bed and crossing the river several times or crossing the bridge and keeping your feet dry. The latter is, I reckon, the more interesting route and is the one that this guide follows.
Cross the bridge and head uphill a short way, then follow the single track above the river all the way back to Arrowtown. There's only one junction along the way - a right fork that takes you to Sawpit Gully - ignore this, staying close to the river. After a while the track starts to follow the pipeline and eventually spits you out on the banks of the river. Cross, turn left following the river as closely as the trail permits and run downstream until you see Wilcox Green again on your right.
Trail Community
Features of interest
The Arrowtown area is full of gold mining history and relics from that era.
Make Up of Run
Technical Single Track: 10%
Moderate Single Track: 15%
Easy Single Track: 30%
Farm Road / 4WD Track: 40%
Gravel Road: 5%
Route Data
Reviews:
Overlapping Runs
The following trails overlap with this run to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate Strava activity for each

Beat Beetham
Length: 7.20km
Photos:
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Access
Wilcox Green Reserve, Nairn Street, Arrowtown
Large reserve with plenty of parking
0 km
1 minutes
Yes
No
-
Staying Safe
Moderate.
Follow the directions in this guide carefully and you should be fine.
Patchy.
Short-sleeved thermal top, Windproof jacket, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map.
Take your own.
Can be very hot in summer and very cold in winter - go prepared for the prevailing conditions
Watch out for mountain bikes
-
Post run indulgence
Fork & Tap
51 Buckingham St, Arrowtown
http://www.theforkandtap.co.nz
Great selection of craft beers, good food and nice outside seating dining area. -
Sponsor this trail
See other runs nearby:
Big Hill Circuit
Sawpit Gully - German Hill
Mt Rosa Loop
Queenstown Trail Anticlockwise
Macetown
Bush Creek Banger and The Steiger!
New Chums Loop
Brow Peak Mini Mission
Crown Peak Traverse
Lake Hayes Circuit
Beat Beetham
Coal Crown Arrowtown
Glenroy Water Race Track
Arrowtown Gold
Mt Sale via Crown Peak and Mt Scott
Advance Peak (via Big Hill inbound and Macetown Road outbound)
Coronet Loop
The Not WILD 50 Mile Course
The Not WILD 20 Mile Course
All The New Chums
Brow Peak and Big Hill
Mt Soho Marathon
Cardrona to Arrowtown
Hilly Delight
Fast and Flat in Arrowtown
Crown Peak and Mt Sale
The Beast of Beetham