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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -42.10358, 171.40332. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 4 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 1 hr 10 min return
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Paparoa National Park
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Walk down to the deep, narrow chasm of Cave Creek and be surrounded by moss-covered rocks and overhanging trees.
This DOC directory entry covers Cave Creek Memorial Track/Kotihotiho in West Coast, within Paparoa National Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 4 km return via same track
- Walking time: 1 hr 10 min return
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
From the carpark, follow the track markers to the T-intersection. Turn right as indicated by the track sign and continue for 300 m until the stone memorial is reached. Turn left and continue to a signpost indicating the track to Cave Creek/Kotihotiho. After crossing a ridge, the track descends into a deeply incised gorge. The creek-bed where the track ends is usually bouldery and dry. In normal conditions, the stream emerges from underneath rocks in several places near here.
Getting there
2 km north of the Paparoa National Park Visitor Centre in Punakaiki, turn off SH 6 into Bullock Creek Road (a 6 km gravel road). Follow this to the carpark at the end.
Know before you go
Bullock creek road is prone to flooding, check the Paparoa National Park weather forecast before going into the area and avoid if rain is forecasted.
Campervans and oversized vehicles are not recommended on Bullock creek road.
History and culture
Thirteen students from Tai Poutini Polytechnic and one DOC staff member died when a platform they were standing on collapsed into a chasm at Cave Creek in Paparoa National Park on 28 April 1995. Four other students who were on the viewing platform survived the 30-metre fall.
In 2020 as part of the 25th anniversary of the Cave Creek tragedy the track was renamed the Cave Creek Memorial Track/Kotihotiho.
Read more about the 25th anniversary of the Cave Creek tragedy.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
