Wooded Peak Circuit

Wooded Peak Track is accessed via Coppermine Trail, with its two respective ends connecting to the latter at Junction Saddle and Windy Point. The track itself is 3.7 km, though the majority of the time and distance required will be getting to and from the track ends. Junction Saddle and Windy Point are equally as far from the respective road ends of Brook Valley and Maitai Valley.

If you plan to climb Wooded Peak from Maitai Dam, consider creating a circuit with Coppermine Trail, Wooded Peak Track and Sunrise Ridge. Likewise if you plan to start in Brook Valley, you can create a circuit by combining Coppermine Trail, Wooded Peak Track and Black Diamond Ridge.

For starting at Maitai Dam, park at the car park at the road end, which is 11 km up the Maitai Valley from central Nelson. If the gate to the dam is open you can also park further up at the car park next to the dam.

Wooded Peak Track is largely within Roding Water Reserve, with small sections falling within the council’s Maitai Water Reserve. Both reserves are managed by Nelson City Council.

Beginning at Maitai Dam, cross the pedestrian bridge over the Maitai River and follow Coppermine Trail. The first 3 km are easy-going as the track undulates on the true left of Maitai River South Branch. You will cross the bridge over Maitai River South Branch and soon find yourself in the mineral belt, where the vegetation transitions to dense scrub, and the track steepens as it zig-zags upward. The gradient lessens as you reach a plateau-like area, and you will reach a fork in the track; turn right to continue toward Coppermine Saddle (turning left will take you to Dun Saddle). Once at Coppermine Saddle, continue for a further kilometre to Windy Point.

At Windy Point, Wooded Peak Track branches off steeply to the right, where a poled route climbs through the mineral belt up Wells Ridge. The route isn’t always obvious among the tussock and alpine scrub, though the ridge is narrow and generally easy to follow. There are great views of the mineral belt and Richmond Ranges, with Blue Knob standing prominently across the valley immediately south.

You will reach the tree line at 980 m elevation. As the track climbs toward point 1092 m the forest transitions to stunted mountain beech, where the canopy isn’t very far above head height. The ridge dips before rising again to the summit. As you climb toward the summit you will notice an increasing presence of exposed limestone outcrops. The summit (1111 m) is marked by a steel pole that has been hammered into a block of limestone. Unfortunately, trees obscure most of the views at the summit.

West of the summit the track follows a sharp ridge with a steep drop to the south. Openings in the trees allow great views south across the mineral belt and toward Mt Malita. In several places you will need to take care as you descend over vertically-oriented outcrops of limestone. The steep descent continues for a few hundred metres before the ridge eases, and the track passes through beech forest for the remainder of the distance to Junction Saddle.

At Junction Saddle you can head directly up Black Diamond Ridge, which will take you to the turnoff to Sunrise Ridge Track. Follow Sunrise Ridge Track as it descends along the ridge toward point 629 (where 629 DH track starts). Here the track connects to Big Hill Track, a forestry road that descends all the way back to Coppermine Trail. Turn left and return to the car park at Maitai Dam.

From Junction Saddle you can also head back along Coppermine Trail to Windy Point, at which point you can retrace your steps back to Maitai Dam.