Remutaka Range Mountains

Address: Remutaka / Remutaka Range, New Zealand

Hours: Open 24 hours (outdoor area)

Admission: Free (natural area)

The Remutaka Range (also spelled Rimutaka) is a low mountain range on New Zealand’s North Island that separates the Hutt Valley and Wellington region from the Wairarapa plain. It is notable for its transport history and for recreational tracks that use former railway and service formations.

Trails and forest parks within the range include a converted railway formation used by walkers and cyclists and extensive tracks through plantation and native bush. The area is used for tramping, mountain biking and managed hunting and contains forestry and conservation land.

In transport history the range was crossed by a steep railway section known as the Rimutaka Incline which required special traction; this operation continued until the mid 20th century when a new tunnel and realigned route were opened to replace the incline. The old rail formation has since been repurposed for recreation.

Geographically it lies to the east of the Wellington metropolitan area, forming the natural divide between the Hutt Valley and the Wairarapa, and is accessed from towns such as Upper Hutt and Featherston.

• Historic railway feature: The historic Rimutaka Incline used the Fell traction system and was bypassed by the Rimutaka Tunnel in the mid 20th century, a key event in the area’s transport history.
• Recreation and habitat: Much of the range is used for outdoor recreation - walking, mountain biking and hunting - and includes long-established forest plantations alongside native bush remnants.

What to See#

• Remutaka Rail Trail: A recreational trail that follows the disused railway formation, popular with walkers and cyclists and using preserved sections of the old line.
• Rail alignment and tunnel: The rail alignment and the Rimutaka Tunnel, which replaced the steep Rimutaka Incline in the mid 20th century and now carry the main rail link between Wellington and the Wairarapa.
• Remutaka Forest Park: Remutaka Forest Park, a managed forest and conservation area offering tracks, native bush and picnic sites used for tramping and hunting under permit.

The Remutaka Range is crossed by New Zealand State Highway 2 (SH2) between the Lower Hutt/Upper Hutt area and the Wairarapa (Featherston). Drive SH2 over the Remutaka Hill to traverse the range; the western access is around Upper Hutt and the eastern access around Featherston, and there are trailheads and the Remutaka Rail Trail (Cross Creek area) reachable from roadside parking.

• If you plan to walk or cycle parts of the Remutaka Range, check local trail and track conditions in advance-sections that follow old railway formations (the Remutaka Rail/Incline pathways) can be muddy after rain and are easiest in drier months.
• Allow extra time for the remoter sections and start early; the range is commonly used by Wellington-area day visitors, so weekday mornings are generally quieter than weekend afternoons.