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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: -39.84350, 176.04595. 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
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 2 hr 30 min - 3 hr 30 min
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Ruahine Forest Park
- Seasonal restrictions
- Access is closed to the public during calving (late May - late August) and may be at other times of the year. You must contact the Farm Manager before you go.
- Dog access
- Dogs with a DOC permit for recreational hunting or management purposes only. 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
The track to Kelly Knight Hut crosses farmland to the Ruahine Forest Park boundary, then sidles above the Pourangaki River to reach the hut via a swingbridge. Stay a night and return the same way.
This DOC directory entry covers Kelly Knight Hut Track in Manawatu-Whanganui, within Ruahine Forest 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: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 2 hr 30 min - 3 hr 30 min
- DOC grade: Advanced
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.
- Kelly Knight Hut Track closed; First published on 11 May 2023. Last reviewed on 6 October 2026.
Seasonal restrictions
Access is closed to the public during calving (late May - late August) and may be at other times of the year. You must contact the Farm Manager before you go.
Dog access
Dogs with a DOC permit for recreational hunting or management purposes only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
From the parking spot follow the markers across farmland for about 30 min to the Ruahine Forest Park boundary. From here the track sidles above the Pourangaki River dropping in and out of sidecreeks.
There are several slips along the Kelly Knight Track to Kelly Knight Hut. For your safety, use the marked detours that are in place.
At times the track is narrow with steep drops to the river. Nearer to the hut a track off to the left heads up to the Hikurangi Range with options of heading to Purity or Waterfall Huts. A short distance further on a swingbridge (difficult for small children) crosses the Pourangaki River and Kelly Knight Hut is reached.
Getting there
Heading just north from Mangaweka turn right off SH1, cross the Rangitikei River and follow Kawhatau Valley Road. This eventually leads to Upper Kawhatau Valley Road and not far past this turn right onto Mangakukeke Road. Follow this and just before the Purity Track carpark at the end turn right into Kohunui Station. Follow the farm road until you reach the parking sign and track start.
Access
Prior permission for access to cross Kohunui Station is required.
Access can be arranged by phoning +64 6 382 5577 at breakfast or in the evening. You must speak to the farm manager - messages will not be responded too. The continued use of access across Kohunui Station is dependent on every party gaining permission from the farm manager every time.
Access is closed to the public during calving, and may be closed at other times during the year for farm management purposes.
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.
