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Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 5 - 30 min
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Pureora Forest Park
- 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
These short walks offer a wealth of nature and history within a short distance of Pureora Village.
This DOC directory entry covers Pureora Village short walks in Waikato, within Pureora 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: 5 - 30 min
- DOC grade: Easiest
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
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Tōtara Walk
Time: 30 min loop
This easy loop walk winds its way among the awe-inspiring giant podocarps for which Pureora is famous - tōtara, rimu, mātai, miro and kahikatea. Ferns grow in abundance and if you are really quiet you may hear or see native birds such as tui, fantail, kākāriki, tomtits or robins. The Tōtara Walk includes interpretative signs and plant identification signs.
The track is accessed from Barryville Road, at the Timber Trail entrance.
Historic D7 log hauler
This static display is located off the side of Pikiariki Road and gives a window into logging life in Pureora with a bulldozer and logging arch. See the conservation story play out at this site as you look towards the giant podocarp trees behind the bulldozer to the remnants of protester platforms erected in the 1970s to protest the logging of native forests such as Pureora.
From Barryville Road, turn onto Pikiariki Road.
Forest Tower
Time: 10 min
This 12 m high tower is a 10 minute walk from Bismarck Rd car park. It gives you an entirely different perspective of life up in the forest canopy. It is a good spot for observing native birds such as kererū, kākāriki, and kākā.
From Barryville Road, take Pikiariki Road then Bismarck Road.
Bismarck Road carpark google maps coordinates: -38.508917, 175.587528
The Buried Forest
The Buried Forest Walk is no longer maintained but the buried forest logs are still present for those who wish to view them.
Vintage Steam Hauler and Tractor
Time: 5 min
A short loop track takes you past a steam hauler and winch (used until the late 1940s to haul logs from the forest for milling), and a historic tractor - reminders of past activity in the area.
From Barryville Road, take Pikiariki Road, then turn into the small parking area where the green and yellow sign is located.
Historic Crawler Tractor
Time: 10 min
In the 1930s-40s this two ton Caterpillar tractor was used to recover split tōtara posts and battens from the bush. It is protected by a covered roof with seating.
From Barryville Road, take Link Road to the carparking area, or access by walking the Timber Trail.
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 published in DOC's official route gallery with an explicit reuse licence. Its original caption and credit are retained; it does not establish current track conditions.
