By Outdoor Next Editorial standards
On this page
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: -42.12775, 171.90081. 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
- 9.7 km loop
- Walking time
- 5 hr
- Track grade
- Not specified in the checked DOC directory
- Location
- Victoria Forest Park
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 or mountain bike this loop walk through beech forest and historic goldfields.
This DOC directory entry covers Murray Creek Track in West Coast, within Victoria 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: 9.7 km loop
- Walking time: 5 hr
- DOC grade: Not specified in the checked DOC directory
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.
Description
The track starts and ends at the Murray Creek car park.
Walk or ride past the Inglewood and Ajax gold mines, Chandlers open-cast coal pit and the site of Cementown. Relics here include mine shafts, a steam winch, boilers and a stamping battery.
The best access for bikers is up the historic Murray Creek Road.
If you are biking the circuit, be aware the track between the Ajax Mine and Blacks Point is for advanced riders only. The Ajax Track (Marchine Track) is mostly well-benched single track (intermediate grade) with a few steeper sections. The last 2 km to the car park is steep and technical downhill.
Getting there
Start and finish at the Murray's Creek Carpark in Black's Point, 2 km east of Reefton on the Lewis Pass highway SH7.
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.
