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Key facts
- Distance
- 10 km one way
- Walking time
- 3 – 4 hr one way
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Rock and Pillar Conservation Area
- 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
This 4WD road takes you to the tops of the Rock and Pillar Range.
This DOC directory entry covers Kinvara Road in Otago, within Rock and Pillar Conservation Area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 10 km one way
- Walking time: 3 – 4 hr one way
- 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.
- Glencreag Track closure for lambing; First published on 11 September 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This 4WD road climbs 1000 m of elevation along numerous switchbacks to the top of the Rock and Pillar Range – reaching 1350 m above sea level.
Leaning Lodge Hut is accessible via a 1 km return side trip shortly before the top.
From the end of the Kinvara Road it is possible to keep going up to Summit Rock and along the Rock and Pillar Ridge Road until the Old Dunstan Road (a further 15 km or 4 hr one way).
Getting there
The track starts from Kinvara Station, off SH87, about 9 km north of Middlemarch and just south of Lug Creek.
Kinvara Road is suitable for 4WD vehicles. Vehicles must keep to the road to preserve the environment.
Know before you go
Weather: The Rock and Pillar Conservation Area is very exposed and subject to extreme temperatures – hot and dry in summer, freezing cold and covered in snow in winter.
Avalanches: Avalanche terrain is classified as 'simple' at the northern end of the Rock and Pillar Range and on the tops, and 'complex' on the eastern faces. If you plan to be in this area in winter or spring be avalanche alert.
Private property: The Kinvara Road passes through a deer farm before reaching the conservation area at 900 m above sea level. Fawns are present from mid-November to mid-December – it is recommended that you use an alternative access route to the Rock and Pillar Conservation Area during this time.
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.
