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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: -43.90501, 171.24259. 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
- 1.8 km loop
- Walking time
- 1 hr return
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve
- 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 through magnificent ancient forest on this flat, easy walk.
This DOC directory entry covers Dennistoun Bush Walk in Canterbury, within Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 1.8 km loop
- Walking time: 1 hr 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
This is a flat, easy walk – though some sections can be muddy – through 40 hectares of magnificent ancient forest with huge kahikatea, lowland tōtara and mataī. Near Brake Road look out for a hollow tōtara stump large enough to encircle a family. There is a short side trip to one of the historic saw pits in the area.
Getting there
There are two track entrances.
9.5 km north of Geraldine, turn off SH72 (Inland Scenic Route) onto Peel Forest Road and follow this for 13 km. Turn into Blandswood Road and follow this for 2 km to the junction with Lookout Road. Park in the car park at the junction.
Walk the short distance to the start of the track on Blandswood Road.
The track can also be accessed from Brake Road – turn off Blandswood Road after 1 km.
Know before you go
Cellphone coverage in the Peel Forest area is poor.
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.
