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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: -42.19568, 171.93390. 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
- 5 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 2 hr
- Track grade
- Easy
- 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
Cross the Inangahua suspension bridge to follow this track up stairs and along the old Progress Water Race.
This DOC directory entry covers Progress Water Race 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: 5 km return via same track
- Walking time: 2 hr
- DOC grade: Easy
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
Cross the suspension bridge over the Inangahua River to reach a good track following the disused water race.
The track ends at the Deep Creek – Inangahua River confluence where you can go back the way you came, or carefully cross the Inangahua River at the marked ford and walk back to the bridge along the highway.
Getting there
11 km east of Reefton on the Lewis Pass highway (SH7).
Know before you go
The route between Golden Lead Battery and Progress Water Race following Deep Creek is no longer maintained and the swing bridge has been removed.
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.
