Akatarawa Forest
http://www.gw.govt.nz/akatarawa
Akatarawa Forest
Karapoti Road, Akatarawa, Upper Hutt, 5372
Turn off State Highway 2 at Akatarawa Rd towards Waikanae and follow for 6km. Turn left onto Karapoti Road and follow this to the park entrance.
For more information about other entrances check the Getting there tab in left hand menu.
Opening hours
Daily from 8am until dusk
Dogs are welcome. Please keep them under control and remove droppings. Dogs are not permitted, on the southern portion (Tulsa Park and Zig Zag entrance) of the Cannon Point Walkway as it crosses private land.
Fireworks are prohibited in all Regional Parks and Forest areas.
Park notices
COVID-19 update
Posted 18/2/21
We are currently at Alert Level 1. In order to recover from the effects of COVID-19 in our community, it is important to:
- Stay at home if you’re sick to stop any future spread of COVID-19
- Maintain good hygiene measures (cough or sneeze into your elbow)
- Keep track of where you have been and who you have seen for contact tracing purposes
- Wash your hands regularly
If you have any questions for us, please call 0800 496 734.
1080 operation, February and March 2021
Posted 29/1/21
We are undertaking an aerial possum control operation in the Akatarawa Forest, using the biodegradable pesticide, sodium fluoroacetate (1080). Weather dependent, non-toxic pre-feed baiting is now expected early March 2021, with toxic baiting expected approximately 7-10 days following pre-feed.
This may affect some park activities such as hunting, horse riding or motorised recreation. You will be notified about this if you hold a permit for one of these activities.
For more information on this predator control operation, or others in our region, head to our 1080 operations page or read the fact sheet.
About
Covering 15,000 hectares of wilderness area between Upper Hutt and the Kapiti Coast, Akatarawa Forest is a rugged blend of native and exotic forest. Mountain, quad and trail bikers find a variety of gentle and challenging routes along the tracks and old logging roads. Popular for horse riding, fishing, hunting and tramping, the Akatarawa Forest provides enjoyable and testing terrain for 4WD-vehicle club trips. It is the home to the Karapoti Classic mountain bike race featuring the legendary Karapoti Gorge.
Things to do
Park history
History
The Akatarawa Forest covers hill country between Upper Hutt and Paraparaumu. Translated to English, Akatarawa means 'trailing vines'. Māori used the forest for hunting and food gathering as well as an access trail to and from the Hutt Valley. The indigenous (native) forest of the area, covering approximately 14,000 hectares, has changed considerably since European settlement. These changes have been brought about by the introduction of animals, fires and logging of native timber including rimu.
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