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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: -39.53835, 175.73733. 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
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 2 hr 30 min - 3 hr 30 min one way
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Hihitahi Forest Sanctuary
- 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
An ideal day hike or easy overnight tramp to a newly replaced hut nestled within Hihitahi Forest Sanctuary north of Taihape.
This DOC directory entry covers Zekes Hut Track in Central North Island, within Hihitahi Forest Sanctuary. 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 hr 30 min - 3 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.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
From the carpark the track heads across farmland, skirting around a swampy piece and jumping a small stream on the way. It climbs up to reach a stile over a fence marking the forest boundary.
Enter the sanctuary and enjoy a short flat section before doing the main climb on the track. A steep piece in the middle needs a little more effort. Towards the top it begins to flatten out and passes Hihitahi Trig with fantastic views to the central North Island mountains.
The track continues on then heads down a grassy slip before sidling around and down into the valley to the old hut site. The new one is 200 m further on past this.
Getting there
Zekes Hut is in the Hihitahi Forest Sanctuary which lies between Taihape and Waiouru. Travelling north, access to the track is off SH1 on the right beginning at a DOC sign about 17 km north of Taihape.
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.
