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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: -43.59136, 171.49003. 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
- 4.6 km one way
- Walking time
- 3 hr
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Alford Scenic Reserve
- Seasonal restrictions
- Access easements to Mt Alford may be closed from 20 September to 20 October each year for farming purposes.
- 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
Passing through Alford Scenic Reserve, this track takes you to the summit of Mt Alford. From the summit there are wide views across the Canterbury Plains and the inland mountains.
This DOC directory entry covers Mt Alford Track in Canterbury, within Alford 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: 4.6 km one way
- Walking time: 3 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.
Seasonal restrictions
Access easements to Mt Alford may be closed from 20 September to 20 October each year for farming purposes.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The marked track passes through Alford Scenic Reserve before climbing beside a stream gully clothed in beech/tawhairauriki and then emerges onto tussock/wī grassland. The route through this open section is on private land so please follow the track markers.
The access then re-enters public conservation land and climbs through subalpine vegetation to the summit of Mt Alford (1,171 m). From the summit there are wide views across the Canterbury Plains and the inland mountains.
Getting there
Access to Mt Alford Conservation Area is signposted from the car park at the end of Alford Settlement Road, which is off the Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road (Highway 72). The car park is 12.5 km from Methven.
Know before you go
Wasps may be present in high numbers, particularly during summer. Consider carrying an antihistamine product and if you are allergic to stings, ensure you bring your medication.
Nature and conservation
As the area is unusually wet, podocarp tree species survive and are regenerating well (after historic logging and burning) in the scenic reserve.
Around the summit of Mt Alford is subalpine shrubland dominated by Dracophyllum and slim-leaved snow tussock/wī. A small stand of Hall’s tōtara is also present.
Typical forest birds found in the bush are fantail/pīwakawaka, bellbird/korimako, grey warbler/riroriro, rifleman/tītitipounamu, tomtit/miromiro and silvereye/tauhou.
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.
