Scout Track
Marsden Valley Reserve
Scout Track is a walking track that climbs steeply up the Barnicoat Range from the head of Marsden Valley, connecting with Involution at its upper end.
| Details | |
| Length | 2.4 km (from car park to top of range – includes some of Involution) |
| Time Required | 1 hr from car park to top of range |
| Trail Type | Tramping track |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate |
| Uses | Walking and trail running |
| Start Elevation | 150 m (car park) or 250 m (weir) |
| Finish Elevation | 715 m |
Barnicoat Range Walkway
Walking and trail running
Involution
Walking, trail running and MTB
Jenkins Hill
Walking, trail running and MTB
Loop/Weir Track
Walking, trail running and MTB
Widdershins
Walking, trail running and MTB
5 min from Stoke
The start of Scout Track is only a 5-minute drive from Stoke up Marsden Valley Rd. At the end of Marsden Valley Rd there is a car park on the right, just before the quarry. Here you will find an information panel with a map and details on trail times and distances.
Cross the vehicle bridge at the road end (just up from the car park) and follow the gravel road up the valley (which is part of Loop Track). The road climbs steadily uphill for 800 m to the historic Ngawhatu weir; along the way you’ll pass the Loop Track turnoff across Poorman Stream on the right, and the downhill end of Involution on the left. Scout Track begins on the opposite side of the stream beneath the weir, where you’ll find a steep, slippery slope with a rope to help you up.
Alternatively, to avoid the rope climb section, begin as above, but turn right onto Loop Track (not signposted) before you reach the downhill end of Involution, and once across the stream and on the other side of the valley, turn left at the junction (turning right will take you back down the valley to Glider Road). This track will take you across a tributary of Poorman Stream and to the foot of the spur where Scout Track starts. A short climb up the spur is where the weir rope section described above connects on the left (the best way to visualise this is with the map).
From here the track climbs steeply up the range through native bush dominated by kānuka and five finger. From the weir it is only 600 m horizontally to the intersection with Involution, but a vertical climb of 315 m. The average gradient is around 50% and remains fairly consistent the whole way up. Note the predator traps and nest boxes on either side of the track, which are maintained by the Marsden Valley Trapping Group.
To return to Marsden Valley, there are several options; you can head back down Barnicoat Range Walkway or Glider Road, via Widdershins. Alternatively, you can head back down the way you came, though instead of going back down the Scout Track, continue down Involution for a gentler downhill gradient.
