Barnicoat Range Walkway

The walkway allows half-day walks or 2-3 hour MTB rides, though most people only use part of the walkway to form shorter loops with other tracks at each of the respective Marsden Valley and Richmond ends.

The Marsden Valley end is 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.

At the Richmond end, the walkway begins at Easby Park. Easby Park is accessed from Marlborough Crescent. From the car park there is an information panel with a map and details on trail times and distances.

Between Marsden Valley Rd and the paragliding area, the walkway is within Marsden Valley Reserve, managed by Nelson City Council. From the paragliding area to Richmond Hill, the walkway crosses forestry land along the top of Barnicoat Range. From Richmond Hill to Easby Park, the walkway is within Kingsland Forest Park, managed by Tasman District Council.

From the car park, cross the footbridge over Poorman Stream and follow Piwakawaka Track as it connects to Glider Road. Follow Glider Road for 800 m to the signpost indicating the turnoff to Barnicoat Range Walkway, which begins on the left side of the road. The track climbs steeply through young pine forest onto the crest of a spur, where it follows a powerline firebreak to a skid site near the top of the range (where Widdershins begins), at 580 m elevation. This section of the walkway between Glider Road and Widdershins is very steep and not really suited to uphill riding (use Glider Road instead).

From here, you have several options for circuits back to the car park. The shortest of these, approx. 6.8 km, is via Glider Road. From the skid site, head right along Glider Road and for 1 km to the paragliding area. From here, follow the signpost and descend the road all the way back to where you initially branched off onto Barnicoat Range Walkway.

For a longer 8.8 km circuit featuring native bush, head follow Widdershins from the skid site (note this is dual-use track shared with mountainbikers). The first 600 m of Widdershins climbs through radiata pine around the head of the valley. It then transitions into scrubby kānuka before entering beech-kamahi forest, making a few twists and turns along the way. The track ends at Jenkins Hill 4WD Road, right next to the start of Involution. Involution descends the range in the valley, ending on the valley floor, from where it a short distance back to the car park.

To continue along the range towards Richmond, head right from the skid site and follow the forestry road to the grassy paragliding area at the end of Glider Road. Climb over the stile in the fence on the left and follow the walkway as it descends, initially steeply, along a rough firebreak road to a junction with Barnicoat Rd, which connects with Aniseed Valley to the left. From here the road is better graded and continues along the top of the range. The radiata pines on the western slopes have grown to a height that largely blocks views over the city, though there are good views east towards Mt Malita and Mt Starveall on the Bryant Range. The road gradually descends to a saddle just east of Saxton Hill, after which it becomes Raine Rd, then climbs gently to a turnoff connecting with the top of Silvan MTB Park. Richmond Fire Lookout is 2.5 km from the saddle.

Descend into the saddle below the lookout and follow Heatons Road to a skid site, where Lookout Road drops steeply to the right toward Big Skid (alternatively, descend via Escalator which also starts here, though be mindful of oncoming bikers). From Big Skid, follow Lookout Road all the way back to Easby Park.

Given the extensive track network on Barnicoat Range immediately behind Richmond, there are numerous other ways to descend to Easby Park (refer to map).