Inwood Lookout is a point on the Gordon Range, south of Belgrove, so-named because of the fire lookout built to watch over Golden Downs Forest. The road to the lookout, Wai-iti Road, is physically demanding and offers a great hill climb for mountain bikers. The lookout borders Mt Richmond Forest Park and is a starting point for climbing Gordon’s Knob, and tramping to Hunters Hut and Red Hill. Inwood Lookout and nearby Inwood Saddle are named after Harold Richard Seymour Inwood, who purchased land on the western side of the ridge in 1910 (though he may have had an even earlier association with the area).
Details | |
Length | 8.7 km one way to lookout (Wai-iti Rd); 13 km return to Gordon’s Knob from lookout; 7.9 km one way lookout to Hunters Hut |
Trail Type | 4WD road |
Physical Difficulty | Hard |
Uses | MTB |
Start Elevation | 340 m |
Finish Elevation | 1051 m |
Dog Access | Permit required for Mt Richmond Forest Park; see Nelson DOC office |
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40 min from Nelson
Head south from Nelson along State Highway 6. Just past Belgrove turn left onto Wai-iti Valley Road (the main road to St Arnaud from Nelson). The turnoff to Inwood Lookout is approximately 11 km from Belgrove (see signage in the image gallery below).
Logging and high fire risk will close access.
The forestry road to the lookout is called Wai-iti Road and is suitable for 4WD vehicles only. Wai-iti Road heads through recently-felled pine beneath power pylons, then climbs steeply northwards up the side of the ridge to 750 m elevation and turns south, heading straight along the top of the ridge and steepening again before reaching the lookout. Be cautious of 4WD vehicles and motorbikes coming up and down the road.
The fire lookout is located on an open grass flat. It is easy to see why this position was selected for the lookout; there are stunning views west to Mt Owen and north toward Tasman Bay, with Golden Downs Forest taking up much of the field of view. The lookout, constructed in 1970, is New Zealand’s highest. The site is also used as a launch point for hang-gliders.
The road end at Inwood Lookout is a starting point for tramps into Mt Richmond Forest Park, particularly circuits of Red Hill and Wairoa Valley. A tramping track heads south along the ridge from the lookout, eventually linking up with Te Araroa Trail near Hunters Hut. Inwood Lookout provides the most straight-forward access to Gordon’s Knob (1592 m).
Inwood Lookout is a point on the Gordon Range, south of Belgrove, so-named because of the fire lookout built to watch over Golden Downs Forest. The road to the lookout, Wai-iti Road, is physically demanding and offers a great hill climb for mountain bikers. The lookout borders Mt Richmond Forest Park and is a starting point for climbing Gordon’s Knob, and tramping to Hunters Hut and Red Hill. Inwood Lookout and nearby Inwood Saddle are named after Harold Richard Seymour Inwood, who purchased land on the western side of the ridge in 1910 (though he may have had an even earlier association with the area).
Details | |
Length | 8.7 km one way to lookout (Wai-iti Rd); 13 km return to Gordon’s Knob from lookout; 7.9 km one way lookout to Hunters Hut |
Trail Type | 4WD road |
Physical Difficulty | Hard |
Uses | MTB |
Start Elevation | 340 m |
Finish Elevation | 1051 m |
Dog Access | Permit required for Mt Richmond Forest Park; see Nelson DOC office |
40 min from Nelson
Head south from Nelson along State Highway 6. Just past Belgrove turn left onto Wai-iti Valley Road (the main road to St Arnaud from Nelson). The turnoff to Inwood Lookout is approximately 11 km from Belgrove (see signage in the image gallery below).
Logging and high fire risk will close access.
The forestry road to the lookout is called Wai-iti Road and is suitable for 4WD vehicles only. Wai-iti Road heads through recently-felled pine beneath power pylons, then climbs steeply northwards up the side of the ridge to 750 m elevation and turns south, heading straight along the top of the ridge and steepening again before reaching the lookout. Be cautious of 4WD vehicles and motorbikes coming up and down the road.
The fire lookout is located on an open grass flat. It is easy to see why this position was selected for the lookout; there are stunning views west to Mt Owen and north toward Tasman Bay, with Golden Downs Forest taking up much of the field of view. The lookout, constructed in 1970, is New Zealand’s highest. The site is also used as a launch point for hang-gliders.
The road end at Inwood Lookout is a starting point for tramps into Mt Richmond Forest Park, particularly circuits of Red Hill and Wairoa Valley. A tramping track heads south along the ridge from the lookout, eventually linking up with Te Araroa Trail near Hunters Hut. Inwood Lookout provides the most straight-forward access to Gordon’s Knob (1592 m).
Updated 20 February 2019