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Key facts
- Distance
- 1.9 km loop
- Walking time
- 1 hr
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Ruahine 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
Walk 10 minutes to Triple X Hut and carry on for a one hour circuit around Swamp Track.
This DOC directory entry covers Swamp 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: 1.9 km loop
- Walking time: 1 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.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Triplex Hut & Swamp Track
Time: 10 min to Triplex hut, 1 hr to Swamp Track
From the Sunrise carpark follow the farm track for 10 minutes to reach the Triplex Hut. This 12 bunk hut with grassy surrounds and space for camping is an ideal base for groups wishing to experience an overnight stay close to a road end.
About 100 metres before the hut is the access point to Swamp Track. This low level track meanders through a mix of beech, rimu and kahikatea forest at the base of Sunrise Track. This track can be completed in a circuit from Triplex Hut.
Triplex Hut and Stream and the Armstrong Saddle all derive their names from a pilot, Hamish Armstrong, who crashed onto the saddle in 1935. The plane wreck was found after several weeks of searching, but Armstrong himself was never traced. A shirt labelled “XXX” was the only clue found to his whereabouts.
Getting there
The North Block Road end is the most popular starting point for visitors to the Eastern Ruahine.
North Block Road is approximately 100 km from Napier. Follow State Highway 50 for 66 km and turn right into Wakarara Road. After 20 km, turn left into North Block Road. The start of Sunrise Tracks starts at the road end.
Know before you go
The last 4 km of this road is through private farmland. Do not disturb stock and leave gates as you found them. Dogs are not permitted.
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.
