By Outdoor Next Editorial standards
On this page
Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 2 days
- 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
An easy to moderate overnight tramp to Rangiwahia Hut on the Whanahuia Range in Ruahine Forest Park. Return via the open tops and Deadman’s Track.
This DOC directory entry covers Rangiwahia Hut - Deadmans 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: 2 days
- 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
Car park to Rangiwahia Hut
Time: 2 - 3 hr
Follow the Rangiwahia Hut Track. Spend the night at Rangiwahia Hut.
Rangiwahia Hut via Deadmans Track to car park
Time: 5 - 6 hr
Follow the track up the tussock ridge on to the tops of the Whanahuia Range, then head south to Mangahuia Trig. From the trig, poles lead west down a rolling tussock ridge and down to the carpark.
Getting there
Travel past the villages of Kimbolton and Rangiwahia and continue along Te Para Para Rd and on to Renfrew Road. Follow this to the carpark at the end.
Know before you go
Gas cookers removed from Rangiwahia Hut
You must take your own portable cooking stove. There is a wood burner in the hut for heating, which may be used for cooking. Firewood is supplied by DOC
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.
