Red Rocks LoopBeginner - Intermediate
Submitted by James Goodwill
Front country - easily accessible
Loop
Very hilly
Native bushBeachCoastalOpen ridges/tops
Beginner - Intermediate
2:00 (Slow)
1:30 (Moderate)
1:15 (Fast)
-10.3%
+10.1%
Note: The route shown in green off the ridge down to the stream and beach is on MTB single track which is open and easy. The original track - the dotted black line shown on the topo - is also totally usable but has a bit of gorse and is a rougher and steeper trail.
There is a reroute sign just before the beach. If the original route changes due to weather and erosion please email us.
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
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Description
Starting at the car park, head back to the road and then straight up (not along the coastal road) towards Brooklyn for just over 2Ks. Just before the landfill the Tip Track sign will be visible, head up here - it's straight up and brutal but worth it. There's 2 "left turn" trails before the one you want - you can't miss it, it's the only one that's a "cross roads" 3.3Ks into the Tip Track (around about the 6K mark). Turn left on this trail and follow it straight down to the top of the coast. Don't take the first left trail or you will end up back at the Tip Track. The single track will go on this ridgeline for about 3Ks of mainly downhill to another junction. Take the left trail to Red Rocks at this point and follow it all the way down to the coast with a couple of river crossings in the way. At the coast, head left to go back to the start on a 4x4 track along the beach. A slight diversion on turning right will take you to "Devil's Gate" (you can't miss it) and the seal colony - just don't get too close.
Trail Community
Features of interest
Wind turbines and seal colonies.
Make Up of Run
Technical Single Track: 60%
Moderate Single Track: 10%
Easy Single Track: 10%
Farm Road / 4WD Track: 10%
Sealed Road: 10%
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
Spooky Gully and the Rocky Shore
Length: 7.80km
Photos:
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I did it!-
Access
Te Kopahou Visitor Centre / Red Rocks Information Centre.
Ample parking at the visitors centre.
8 km
17 minutes
Yes
No
-
Staying Safe
Moderate.
Make navigation of this route super-easy by using the Capra app on your phone. View on Capra .
Two tracks going off the Tip Track - one will bring you back to your car via Owhio bay much sooner than anticipated through farmland and sheep; the other will drop you into "Spooky Gully" and makes for an excellent diversion if you're feeling up for the challenge - it's a harder ascent / descent than the Tip Track itself
Perfect throughout.
Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map.
At the Visitor's centre. Toilets, running water. Stream also near the beach
Windy. Almost always windy.
Some landslips. All of this is pretty much on a fault line also, which is why it's spectacular in part also - swings and roundabouts
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Post run indulgence
Beach House Cafe,
Owhiro Bay - just round the coast a bit from the car park
close by. Does food, coffee, beers etc, and on non-windy days has an excellent outdoorSpruce Goose
Lyall Bay - further round the coast towards the airport
close to the airport - good views over the coast and planes coming and going.Maranui cafe
Lyall Bay
Views over the beach, sea, airport, etc. good food also -
Sponsor this trail
See other runs nearby:
Makara Peak Grand Loop
Skyline - Mt Kaukau
Sanctuary Fenceline
Ataturk to Pass Of Branda Loop
WUU2k - 42km Route
Chartwell-Skyline Loop
Otari-Wilton's Bush Loop
Tawatawa Trails
Barking Mad on Barking Emu
Aro Valley - Red Rocks Thigh Buster
Southern Walkway
Polhill to Turbine loop
Park 2 Peak 2 Park
Biblical
Graveyard Shift
Swing Into Action
Trelissick Park
Te Ara Papararangi Views
Mount Kaukau Loop
Johnston Hill Loop
Seton Nossiter Waterfall & Lookout
Seeking Sanctuary
Huntleigh Park and Crow's Nest
Spooky Gully and the Rocky Shore
Oruaiti Reserve
Linking the Reserves
Te Ahumairangi Ridgeline
Mid Makara Magic
Makara Walkway
Te Raekaihau Point
Matairangi Loop
Swallow's loop
Waimapihi Treatie
