Explore The Trail
See, Do, Stay
Other Information
Dust off your bike and tuck away that cell phone. It's time to go Coastal! The trail can be enjoyed ridden in either direction however we've prepared this website overview from north to south, taking in the attractions from Greymouth to Ross.
Departing from the historic Greymouth Railway Station, you'll set off along the mighty Grey River and past a working port, before journeying out toward the wild and wonderful Tasman Sea.
Follow the coast south, behind sand dunes and along tidal lagoons, until you cross the Taramakau. (It's a river… a bigee.)
You'll then wind your way along the historic Kumara Bush Tram through regenerating forest and new farm land. Towards the end of the day, you'll get some rip-snorting (impeccable) views of the Taramakau. With a flat, cruisy day's cycling under your belt, you've got the night to rest up in Kumara!
Make sure you ask the townsfolk at the renovated hotel about the town's bawdy gold mining history. (In its rough, tough heyday it had a whopping 50 pubs!)
West Coast Travel Centre - Greymouth i-SITE is centrally located in the historic Greymouth Railway Station at the top end of town. We can advise and book West Coast accommodation and activities to suit all requirements.
Greymouth is the largest town on the West Coast and the central hub of the region. It offers a wide range of retail, banking, medical, and other key amenities and services.
Greymouth is the start of the West Coast Wilderness Trail and the gateway to the world famous Tranz Alpine Train which arrives and departs to Christchurch daily along with coach and shuttle services to and from South Island centres. Greymouth boasts a wide range of accommodation and activities options, making it a great base to start your West Coast Wilderness Trail experience.
Activities range from the outdoor cave tubing, white water rafting, kayaking and canoeing, to climbing, hiking, guided walks and scenic flights. Visit the historic Gold Mine town "Shantytown" only a few kms off the cycle trail or stop in at the Monteiths Brewery for a West Coast brew. Other activities in the area include 4wd bike tours, knife making, the famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes of Punakaiki, Jade carving, horse trekking and trout fishing tours in and around the Lake District. There is so much to do and see!
Not a Rail Trail are the specialists in South Island Cycle Trails. Tours are fully inclusive (excluding alcohol) to ensure you don't have to pay for anything once on tour. They're fully supported which means mixed ability groups can ride together and we limit groups to no more than 10 people in order to maximize our service. We are also able to customize tours for larger, private groups, if required. Visit our website for full details of all tour options
John Wood and Associates Ltd, specialise in providing high quality, personalised financial advice to our clients, whether advising on life insurance, retirement planning or investing.
After taking an invigorating ride on the scenic West Coast Wilderness Trail, why not treat yourself to a soak in the spa or sweat it out in the sauna.
This is Greymouth's newest community asset and is the recreation, leisure and sporting hub of Greymouth and the wider region.
We have everything you need to relax after a day's cycling - spa, sauna and pools. But if you still have energy to burn, you can hit the gym or join in one of our group fitness classes.
Pop in and talk to our friendly staff and see how the Westland Recreation Centre can be the icing on the cake of your West Coast Wilderness Trail experience.
Visitors to the District can access free wi-fi at the Library as well as computers, scanners, printing and copying, and power for a variety of devices. Relax in our Reading Area with a newspaper or magazine while enjoying a refreshing cup of tea or coffee.
Located in Christchurch Tuatara Tours runs 4 day fully guided and catered tours on the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Let us take care of the details, leaving you more time to relax and explore. We can collect you from Christchurch or Greymouth.
We are committed to ensuring your complete enjoyment of the trail by providing a professionally run shuttle service that can transport you and your bike to all points on the trail or pick you up at the end of a day's riding. We have plenty of local knowledge and are keen to help you with all aspects of your planning whatever your budget. We look forward to hearing from you so please don't hesitate to contact us.
We are located right on the beachfront and the WC Wilderness Trail is right on our doorstep so we can provide direct access onto the trail. This, along with bikes for hire, Trail Transport (a shuttle service for the WC Wilderness Trail) and our wide range of modern accommodation from luxury apartments through to our quality motels, self-contained units, cabins and sites makes us the perfect location to base your WC Wilderness Trail experience from.
For easy access to the Wilderness Trail, the wild landscapes and stunning scenery of New Zealand's unspoilt West Coast, look no further than the historic Kingsgate Hotel Greymouth.
Set in the town centre, overlooking the Grey River, this 3-Star Plus Qualmark-rated hotel features 98 rooms and suites is only 300 metres from the start of the trail. With all of the comforts and amenities you'd expect in an international hotel, along with Alberts Restaurant and Albion Bar, where guests have been swapping stories since 1906.
Bike Hire and repair shops are within 100 metres of the hotel and there is on-site bike storage. Book on line for our best rate guarantee.
At Natural High we believe exploring New Zealand by bicycle is the best way to truly experience this remarkable country.
Whether you're looking for bike rental for a weekend or a grand cycle tour of the whole country, someone in our Auckland or Christchurch branches will talk you through all your options, and give you the best possible advice. Contact us for all your bike hire, accessories, touring and group tour needs nationwide.
Nope, no horses on the West Coast Wilderness Trail, but lots of the bikers we bring here also journey with us elsewhere in NZ - and worldwide. Active Earth Adventures & Hiking New Zealand have cycling, hiking and mountain biking trips from Kumara to Mongolia. Why not hop on a supported trip and enjoy the stress free preparations and seamless adventures.
The tastiest takeaways West of the Alps
Make us your 1st or last stop on the Trail
Located just south of Greymouth, call in for a coffee, ice creams, milkshakes, cold drinks or refreshments.
Select from our full range of quality takeaways and burgers including local fish.
Customer toilets available
The Recreation Hotel is a one-stop shop for visitors to Greymouth. It houses one of the Coast's best restaurants and offers a modern and extremely welcoming atmosphere. With 30 separate accommodation units and a bottlestore, visitors are well catered for.
Cycle Journeys provides you with a one stop service when planning your ride on the Wilderness Trail. Choose your bike hire from our 70 hire fleet or our new 10 E-Bike fleet, luggage transfer, accommodation bookings, shuttle to the start and finish of the trail. We can even arrange group transport from Christchurch.
Located in the heart of Greymouth this gallery is a "must". Stunning landscapes cover the walls and the gallery offers a fine selection of New Zealand and locally made items and gifts, including ceramics, Manuka honey, jewellery, t-shirts, possum merino clothing, chocolate, soaps, Manuka beauty products, cushions and more.
PureTrails New Zealand operates a 4 day tour of the West Coast Wilderness Trail with a tour leader and full vehicle support, good quality ensuite accommodation, wholesome meals in local hotels, and hot drinks, fresh fruit and energy snacks while cycling. Side trips to the outlying areas such as the stunning Hokitika Gorge are also included. Mountains and ebikes available for hire. Start & finish in Christchurch.
Bella Vista Greymouth offers 18 quality motels suitable for all types of travellers. We are close to restaurants, the super market, the Westland Recreation Centre and, with only a 5 minute bike ride to the West Coast Wilderness Trail, we are perfect for your overnight stay. Free WIFI is also available.
Discover more of the Coast while on your Wilderness Trail experience. The Hokitika Gorge, Punakaiki, the Glaciers – whatever you want to see and do. We will pick-up and deliver back to your location. Pick-up and drop-off anywhere within the Hokitika or Greymouth area is also available by arrangement. Group discounts available and we hold a DOC concession.
Join the fully-guided 45-minute brewery tour, enjoy a tasting tray of speciality handcrafted beers and ciders or relax for a drink and enjoy the range of local produce from the tapas style tasting menu. Monteith's modern brewery and restaurant is a perfect place to begin or end your Wilderness Trail experience.
We sell and hire bikes for the West Coast Wilderness Trail. We have a fully equipped workshop to provide repairs to any brand of bike. Mann Cycles is a locally owned and operated bicycle business. Our qualified bike mechanic has been servicing the Coast for over 20 years. For further information on your bike hire or repair requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Hey Ladies whether you're starting or finishing the Wilderness Trail in Greymouth there's one very important destination that you need to visit, it's the Coast's fashion Hub; Victoria's - located in the Heart of Mackay Street. Victoria's is a boutique fashion store delivering very stylish clothes for everyday ladies who thrive on both style and colour. Treat yourself at Victoria's while in Greymouth…
West Coast Wilderness Trail Door2Door Service - An easy return transport solution from Christchurch for you AND your bike. Get yourself & your trusty steed to and from the Wilderness Trail at your pace with plenty of opportunities to stop for a cuppa and selfie on the way. Departs Christchurch Sat 12:00pm. Charters are available so tell us your plans and we'll make it work!
Just a block from the Greymouth start /finish, Robert Harris Café is the ideal location to meet up and start your journey or celebrate completing the trail. With award winning coffee, a full range of cabinet food, full kitchen menu, cooked breakfast and lunch, all with healthy, locally sourced products, you can eat-in or order a delicious packed lunch and snacks to eat on the trail.
Explore NZ's favourite cycle trails with the company that has helped pioneer fully supported cycling trips in New Zealand for over 20 years.
Our West Coast Wilderness Cycle includes transport from Christchurch, accommodation, a qualified guide, vehicle support, most meals, entry to the Treetops Walkway and TranzAlpine train journey to Christchurch.
Visit our website for details
Trail Journeys Nelson now offers our premium service on the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Our self-guided itinerary has you enjoying the 'full experience' with inclusions like the Tree Top Walk, accommodation, breakfasts, luggage transfers, trail bike and eBike hire, transport and our first-class customer service. We also operate on Tasman's Great Taste Trail, Otago Central Rail Trail, Roxburgh Gorge & Clutha Gold Trails.
The hostel has single, double, twin or dorm style accommodation, undercover cycle storage facilities, a large guest laundry, a private spa and sauna. Features also include warm lounge with log burner, guitar, piano, separate TV lounge with a large collection of world movies and free unlimited WIFI. For those who want a further wetland experience there is free kayaking on the Lake Karoro wetland reserve adjacent to the hostel. It also has a well-equipped fitness room and visitors can loan fishing rods and tennis rackets.
Discover fascinating stories of real New Zealanders and experience a recreated gold-rush village. West Coast isolation, extreme weather and rugged terrain produced stories of fortitude and ingenuity. Shantytown tells these pioneering stories through a fascinating mix of experience and displays.
Ride the Steam Train through native rainforest, experience the sights and sounds of a working sawmill, watch the sluice gun blast gold bearing rock and soil from the earth, then follow the races to the gold claim and pan for your own gold.
The village, with 30 shops and buildings to explore shows life the way it used to be. Catch the show in our new holographic theatre. For a memento of Shantytown nothing is better than an old time photo.
Located on the trail, with newly renovated quality spacious units, two bars, a bottle store, and one of Greymouth's most popular restaurants offering fresh local flavours. An ideal location to stay during your Wilderness Trail experience or stop for a drink or evening meal. Warm fire, large screen TV's along with Netflix, Sky and free unlimited WIFI in your room.
Distillers of essential oils and producers of Repulse insect repellent, balms and liquid soap. Made with the addition of Coast manuka. We are based in Kumara the gateway to the Coast. Purchase online or from local retail outlets. DEET FREE, the safe choice to use on your Wilderness adventure.
Coleraine provides for discerning travellers who are seeking quality accommodation without excessive expense. They prepare suites and apartments with care and present these units with pride. The new but very experienced and well travelled owner-operators make every endeavour to provide for the comfort of their guests. Our garage is available for cycle storage. Keen cyclists ourselves, we are really enthusiastic about the trail.
Kumara is a former gold mining town where many came to seek their fortune, particularly the Irish. The town was once the home of the most famous West Coaster, Richard John Seddon, Premier of the Liberal Government from 1893 until his death in 1906.
Today, Kumara is a service town for tourists and farmers. The race course at Kumara provides a base for competitors and their support teams heading off on the annual Coast to Coast endurance race and the annual race meeting brings thousands of visitors each year.
Kumara offers lots for the outdoor enthusiast from tramping, hunting and fishing to fossicking for gold. Lake Brunner and the Taramakau River offer magnificent scenery and great brown trout fishing while the lower Taramakau is famous for its whitebait runs.
Built in 1876, at the beginning of the Kumara gold rush, the Hotel was the meeting, entertaining and playing place for the miners who had arrived in Kumara, from all around the world. When current owners Kerrie and Mark Fitzgibbon purchased the hotel in 2010 it was derelict, vandalised and in total disrepair. Two years were spent with local tradesmen working to restore and rebuild the old building, which holds many special memories for Coasters of today.
Sidetracks is a small and personal tour company with a passion for the outdoors. Our small groups offer the possibility to be active, go exploring and have lots of fun together. We offer walking and cycling tours in New Zealand and Germany. We take time to notice the many features, small and big, along the way and really discover the country.
"For a restful night's sleep after your invigorating ride"
We are a family run motel located right in the heart of Kumara village on the route of the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Whether your group is large or small we cater to your needs.
The rooms come fully equipped with ensuite facilities, Kitchenette, Satellite TV, Free WIFI, Garden, Cycle storage.
We run the General store, Café and Post Centre, and so can cater to your every need during your stay with us, whether it be groceries, postal services, gifts or takeaways.This restored historic villa is available as a whole home or individual double/twin rooms. Full kitchen for self catering. Also available are 4 bed dorms, space for tents and small camper vans. BBQ in outside undercover kitchen, wifi and hot showers all walking distance from the local hotel. Wild gardens with abundant birds.
Get the inside word on NZ’s most loved trail with the official Wilderness Trail guide book.
Buy nowBuilding the West Coast Wilderness Trail and keeping it clean and beautiful takes a lot, every little bit helps. Thank you for your support. See you on the trail!
Donate now
