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Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 8 - 10 hr
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Ruahine Forest Park
- 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
Perched on the northern end of the Hikurangi Range in Ruahine Forest Park, McKinnon Hut is accessed via a long ridge climbing up from the Kawhatau Valley. Stay a night and return the same way.
This DOC directory entry covers McKinnon 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: 8 - 10 hr
- 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.
Dog access
Dogs with a DOC permit for recreational hunting or management purposes only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Walk approximately 8 km up the Kawhatau River. The track to McKinnon Hut begins on the true left of the river with a steep climb up the ridge. This eventually takes you to the tussock tops of the Hikurangi Range. Continue past the turnoff to Crow Hut then drop down to McKinnon Hut.
Alternatively, you can make the trip over two days. To do this, continue on in the river for another 1.5 km and spend a night at Kawhatau Base, before crossing the river and heading up the ridge to the McKinnon Hut Track.
Beware, this trip may not be possible during times of high river flow.
Due to travel on the open tops this hike should not be attempted in poor visibility or bad weather.
Getting there
Access through private land at Rangitane Road end is no longer available. Access to the McKinnon Hut Track is now available via the Kawhatau River, starting at the Rangitane Road bridge.
To get to the Rangitane Road bridge, head north from Mangaweka and turn right off SH1. Cross the Rangitikei River and follow Kawhatau Valley Road. This eventually leads to Upper Kawhatau Valley Road which becomes Rangitane Road. The bridge is just past the turn off to Smiths Road. There is no car park.
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.
