The trip ended up being 42 kilometres round trip from Trail Journeys (bike hire company with quality and variety of bikes- $60 full day + $10 insurance) The ride time was 4-5 hours. Given the length of the trail, there are multiple locations you can start from. Coppermine Saddle via Dun Mountain Trail is a 11.6 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Nelson, Nelson-Tasman, New Zealand that features a river and is rated as difficult. Dun Mountain is one of the most distinctive mountains around Nelson Tasman due to its unique geology. Starting amidst Nelson’s cafes and pubs, this amazing day ride heads directly into spectacular hill country via Codger’s Mountain Bike Park and a long, consistent tramway-line climb up the Dun Mountain Walkway. The eastern slope of Wells Ridge between Windy Point and Coppermine Saddle receives little sunlight in winter, and consequently the track can be icy. Nice challenge for a road biker looking to experience off road mountain biking, Review from Husband: The ride up to Coppermine saddle was enjoyable. an interesting trip down. Dun Mountain Trail Mountain Bike trail in Nelson East, Nelson (New Zealand). Still fun all the same. Dun Mountain is a mountain in the Richmond Range near the city of Nelson in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island. This exciting one-day mountain trail from Nelson climbs to a height of 878m on Dun Mountain along New Zealand’s first railway line before descending back down to Nelson. The original tramping track between Maitai Dam and the forks to Coppermine Saddle was best described as a ‘rock garden’, with large boulders, deep ruts and drainage channels on the trail edges making for a technical and bone-rattling descent. There is a toilet and a signpost indicating the times and distances to the next locations. Dun Mountain Trail is one of the must-do rides in Nelson. The most obvious remaining evidence of the mining works are the spoil piles, though you may also spot some of the surviving railway sleepers beneath your wheels (or feet). To do this, the best place to start is the car park next to Maitai Dam, which is 11 km up Maitai Valley Rd from Central Nelson. Dun Mountain Trail is one of the must-do rides in Nelson. Well worth the effort, the decent down the other side is a little tricky and is really for a more experienced rider in my mind! The surface is VERY rough and only suitable for the best dual suspension MTB, especially the downhill (second half). It is the namesake of the popular Dun Mountain Trail, as well as the Dun Mountain Mineral Belt and dunite, the ultramafic rock which the latter largely comprises. Take warm clothing, food and water. This distinguishes it from Dun Mountain Trail; the latter officially starts at the beginning of Codgers Track and officially ends at Smiths Ford in Maitai Valley. Last week's heavy rain has put remediation work on the Dun Mountain Trail behind schedule following fresh damage to … Please choose a different date. Coppermine Saddle (878 m) is 1.1 km from Windy Point. My hiking buddy casually slipped the educational potion of today’s hike into this section, and I was amazed I hadn’t heard of it before. To get back to the city centre, you can take either Maitai Valley Walkway (as far as Clouston Bridge), which can be accessed across the river from the car park (follow the signposts). Beyond Third House the trail continues to Junction Saddle (682 m). I swam in the river at the foot of the dam to cool off. Dun Mountain is 10 kilometres south-east of Nelson. This fun walking tour is an ideal way to explore the small city of Nelson. Make sure you are prepared with warm layers. The trail ventures through the dramatic landscape of the Dun Mountain Mineral Belt, which is characterised by stunted vegetation and reddish-brown ultramafic rocks. Coppermine Trail (Dun Mountain Trail) is a 4.3 kilometer loop trail located near Nelson, Nelson-Tasman, New Zealand that features a river and is rated as moderate. From here, to get back to Brook Valley you can take Te Ara Kōpiko or Tantragee Saddle Road (follow the signposts from the car park). The trail crosses several rock chutes, with many boulders precariously positioned on the uphill side of the track. The trail heads directly into spectacular hill country via Codger’s Trails area and a long, consistent climb along the historic Dun Mountain Railway route. Most of the chromite mines were located either side of the trail between Windy Point and Coppermine Saddle. Despite these improvements, the descent from Coppermine Saddle still requires a reasonable level of technical ability. Dun Mountain • By matthew. Just beautiful. You can also continue down Maitai Valley Road. Length 4.3 km Elevation gain 170 m Route type Loop The Dun Mountain Trail is a ride with a wilderness feel that can be ridden right from Nelson City. The site of Fourth House is 3.1 km beyond Junction Saddle and soon after the beech forest transitions to the coarse scrub of the mineral belt. Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail spans 5 mi. From here, follow the road down the valley to Maitai Motor Camp car park. erll defined track though essentially for mountain bikers, The track was well defined but poorly marked. It was downhill through the beech forest, then uphill onto the beautiful tussock of Dun Mountain itself. From the car park follow the signposts the short distance to Codgers Track. View amenities, descriptions, reviews, photos, itineraries, and directions on TrailLink. From here Coppermine Trail follows a gravel road up the eastern side of Tantragee Saddle to connect with Dun Mountain Trail just over the other side. Construction on a new 5km section of trail into Wakefield is now complete allowing this amazing day of cycling, scenery and tasting.

Today you will ride through the longest disused rail tunnel in the southern hemisphere, extraordinary mountain vistas, amazing scenery through farmland, orchards, hop gardens, vineyards, coastal estuaries as well as being able to sample world class food and beverage.

Choose from Option A, ‘Tunnel to Town - via Mapua’, or Option B, ‘Tunnel to Town. The trail continues through a few railway cuttings and past the site of Second House. Abandoning your packs, you can appreciate the character of Dun Mountain by climbing perhaps 15 minutes up the winding track. Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. The 43km Dun Mountain Trail is one of New Zealand's Great Rides, and one of the most accessible back country alpine cycle trails in the country. Licence: cc by-nc-nd. Beginning at 3000ft in open alpine tussock, the trail descends through beautiful mountain beech forest on the bed of an old mid 1800’s mining trail, with expansive views of Tasman Bay. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and mountain biking. The trail crosses a large slip that has caused issues over the last few years. From central Nelson, head up Maitai Valley Rd for about 5 km and turn right into the signposted car park before Maitai Motor Camp. The gradient was not too steep - lots of changes in terrain. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running, and mountain biking. Dun Mountain 1129m Sugar Loaf 308m Wooded Peak 1111m Coppermine Saddle 878m Windy Point 845m Dun Saddle M a i t a i R i v e r T h e S B r o o k Site of Third House 660m Site of First House ... Dun Mountain Trail Water Supply Pipeline Other Tracks Public Road MAP LEGEND Toilets Shelter Viewpoint Historic Site Cave Information and Map. The 38km trail links Brook Valley with the Maitai Valley and reaches an elevation of 878m at Coppermine Saddle. Along the way you get stunning glimpses of Nelson, and across the Tasman bay to the Abel Tasman. From Nelson city, it follows New Zealand’s first railway line, climbing at an easy gradient through beech forest to a large clearing at a shelter called Third House. Famous trail in New Zealand. This climbs gently along the face of the fringe hill first through pine forest and then into native bush. After 4.5 km you’ll reach the intersection known as ‘Four Corners’ where the decent from Fringed Hill connects on the left and Brook-Waimarama Sanctuary fence line drops down to the floor of Brook Valley. The colour is caused by the ultramafic rock which forms the mountain. The trail surface is such that it can be ridden in most (but not extreme) weather. Over the last decade the trail has been smoothed and realigned to lessen the gradient, which now sees it flowing through numerous zig-zags as it descends into the valley of the Maitai River South Branch. All in all, a highly recommend trip - coming from a road biker with little to none mountain biking experience. Third House is also the connection point for the sanctuary fence line road, which you can follow through to Jenkins Hill and Marsden Valley. A file photo of the slip on the Dun Mountain Trail before Third House. For less expert mountain bikers, the ride up and back via Third House is still a great day out, just remember that there will be people riding up as you rid… Trail runners and walkers can just as easily complete Dun Mountain Trail in a clockwise direction. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. If you’re on foot, you can also climb the walkway that heads straight uphill from the first car park (this option is steeper but saves 1.5 km). This is the eastern end of Black Diamond Ridge Track, which heads back along the crest of the ridge to Fringed Hill (and gives access to Sunrise Ridge). From Dun Saddle it's a 140m climb over about 1km to the summit of Dun Mountain, from where there are panoramic 360 views on a nice day. From the end of the Maitai River Track, the Dun Mountain Trail begins its gradual climb up to the Coppermine Saddle. From the trail entrance at Brook Street, the track climbs gently but steadily up the flanks of Dun Mountain along an old railway corridor used to transport chromite from nearby mines. Third House is 4.3 km beyond Four Corners, on a point on the ridge once known as Wairoa Saddle. The Coppermine trail follows the Dun Mountain walkway along an historic railway line. Think twice. 5km of easy hiking gets you to the Four Corners Junction. Windy Point (845 m) is a few hundred metres later, where Wooded Peak Track connects from the left. Whoever is setting traps between the 732 point and the 839 point is wildly successful, as we saw four possums in a row! The bush becomes more stunt and the underfoot conditions more rocky. Dogs are prohibited on the trail. As it links with many other tracks on the surrounding ridges and valleys, routes of varying length and difficulty can be created. Mobile phone coverage is patchy between Maitai Motor Camp and Third House. Its appeal stems from the fascinating landscape it traverses, as well as its achievable length and ability to be completed from central Nelson. The only downside of this trail is that the trail could have been signposted better, and make sure that you take with you plenty of water as there is nowhere to fill up along the way. Dun Mountain’s unique geology, rich mining history and epic viewpoints make this one of New Zealand’s finest day rides for fit, experienced riders. 38.7 km return circuit to start of Codgers Track (via Tantragee Saddle); 2.9 km Nelson Visitor Centre to start of Codgers; 6.2 km Maitai Motor Camp to Nelson Visitor Centre, Brook Valley start for MTB, either for walkers and trail runners, Dogs are prohibited on Dun Mountain Trail, 11.2 km via Codgers Track; 9.7 km via walkway from car park; 11.2 km from Maitai car park, 10 km Coppermine Saddle to Maitai Dam; 3.8 km Maitai Dam to Smiths Ford; Smiths Ford; 7.6 km Maitai Dam to start of Codgers via Tantragee Saddle, 45 min (MTB; to Smiths Ford); 2-3 hr (walking; to Maitai Dam car park). Be completed as a full circuit is best ridden in most ( but not extreme ).! From Windy point the road down the Valley to Maitai Valley road officially... 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