Mountain biking is known as one of the top Rotorua Attractions and the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest is a great place to go as it's suitable for all ages and abilities. The Rotorua Canopy Tours team is full of keen mountain bikers that love to get out to the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest - check out some of the teams favourite trails!
Photo: Shane on his unicycle with his daughter in the forest
Shane's favourite easy tracks:
Shane rides a uni cycle and loves mountain biking with his family.
1. Kids Loop -Grade 1
The Kids loop is perfect for young kids who love to get out on their bike for a ride. It's a short loop - only 400m, but kids love to go around and around as the track is wide and flat! It's a good track for people wanting a gentle ride to get the legs moving before heading onto more technical tracks.
2. Tahi – Grade 2
Tahi is a good track for beginners to start on. It's the first track out of the gate from the carpark which is where the name comes from, as Tahi means “one” in Maori. The Tahi trail is nice and easy with mellow rollers that are great fun for all ages and an awesome track for the whole family to ride together.
3. The Dipper – Grade 2
The Dipper trail is probably the most iconic trail in the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest. Dipper lives up to it's name as the whole trail dips up and down with some great berms, which makes the trail really fun for everybody! Highly recommended for families and beginners as the track is nice and wide which makes it easy to overtake slower riders.
Photo: Alex having fun challenging herself on the intermediate tracks at one of our top Rotorua Attractions
Alex's favourite intermediate tracks:
1. Turkish Delight – Grade 3
Turkish Delight is a narrow track that has lots of roots. There is a short steady climb in from Katore Road that then heads down the bumpy track. This is an ideal track for more experienced riders but you must have your A game on as there are a few steps that may catch you out.
2. Challenge – Grade 3
The Challenge trail is a popular track for more confident intermediate riders that are wanting to challenge themselves with faster speeds. This winding downhill track is out in the open with no risk of any trees to crash into. It has rollers and jumps the whole way down where you can pick up some serious air at high speed. This is the perfect track for those riders that are wanting to improve on their speed and jumps.
3. Tokorangi - Grade 3
The climb up to Tokorangi track ridge is well worth it for the views looking out over Rotorua city and Lake Rotorua. You will need to be prepared for a steep climb, a lot of people end up walking their bike up this part. The narrow, single track with sharp berms takes you through beautiful native forest before exiting out onto Nursery road.
Photo : Nicki enjoying her time on the advanced tracks at one of our top Rotorua Attractions
Nickis favourtie advanced tracks:
These mountain bike trails are not for the faint hearted, experienced mountain bike riders only on these advanced tracks...
1. Billy T - Grade 4
Billy T is a flowy single track with some rooty steps to keep you in check. You can either enjoy a nice climb to the top or most weekends throughout the year there are shuttles available to take you to the top of the track. It is a very fun track for more experienced riders where speed can determine the difficulty.
2. Gunno Gotta – Grade 4
Starting from the top of Katore Road, Gunno Gotta is one of the easier choices for a grade 4 track. The top section of the track is flowy and can be really slippery when it's wet. The track then takes you through trees which is when it starts to get a bit tight and interesting as it becomes more technical with a few more tight corners.
3. Boulderdash – Grade 5
Boulderdash is suited to experienced riders that like speed. There are initial high speed straights that then turn into some sharp corners slowing down your pace. Then there are two alternative options to choose from - either the left hand turn, an easier but longer trail to the bottom or the right hand turn that goes down to the bottom over a whole lot of rocks (it might be a good idea to check this section out beforehand if it's your first time trying out this track).
