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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: -45.53632, 170.00802. 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
- 13.5 km one way
- Walking time
- 4 hr 30 min – 5 hr 30 min one way
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Rock and Pillar Conservation Area
- Seasonal restrictions
- Old Dunstan Road is closed 1 June – 30 September each year. Gladbrook Road is closed for lambing 1 September – 31 October each year.
- 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
Go up and over the Rock and Pillar Range.
This DOC directory entry covers Stonehurst Track in Otago, within Rock and Pillar Conservation Area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 13.5 km one way
- Walking time: 4 hr 30 min – 5 hr 30 min one way
- 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.
- Pest control at coastal Otago tracks; First published on 12 February 2025. Last reviewed on 6 October 2026.
Seasonal restrictions
Old Dunstan Road is closed 1 June – 30 September each year. Gladbrook Road is closed for lambing 1 September – 31 October each year.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The Stonehurst Track goes up and over the Rock and Pillar Range to link Gladbrook Road near Middlemarch to Old Dunstan Road near Loganburn Dam.
The highest point of the track, at 1100 m above sea level, is located almost exactly midway but is quicker and easier to reach from Old Dunstan Road (800 m altitude) than from Gladbrook Road (250 m altitude).
Getting there
This track can be accessed either from the southern end of Gladbrook Road near Middlemarch, or from a stile along the Old Dunstan Road near the north-eastern side of Loganburn Reservoir.
Know before you go
Weather: The Rock and Pillar Conservation Area is very exposed and subject to extreme temperatures – hot and dry in summer, freezing cold and covered in snow in winter.
Avalanches: Avalanche terrain is classified as 'simple' at the northern end of the Rock and Pillar Range and on the tops, and 'complex' on the eastern faces. If you plan to be in this area in winter or spring be avalanche alert.
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.
