Ride With Us
TRAILS
The Thames Mountain Bike Club has several areas of tracks. One is the Moanataiari mountain bike trails up behind Thames, the other is the Hotoritori mountain bike trails up the Kauaeranga Valley
MOANATAIARI MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS
Network of mountain bike trails in the hills north of Thames. Parking is at the end of Moanataiari Creek Road, Make your way up the access road behind the gate to the flat area which includes a picnic area, pump track, jump track, kids (100 acre wood) loop & the start of the trail network.
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HOTORITORI MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS
Follow the Kauaeranga Valley Road from Thames for 14 km to the visitor centre. Hotoriori is the first campground on the left, 3 km north of the visitor centre.
Entry is at forest gate beyond the Hotoritori campsite and you follow the trail signs in an anti-clockwise direction.
KARAKA TRACK - DUAL USE MTB & HIKING
Follow the Karaka road behind the Thames Hospital and head right just before the bridge that crosses the Karaka stream and collarbone road. There is a gravel carpark just before the bridge. The Karaka track is accessed up what looks like a private drive way but is signposted as a DOC Hiking track. This is a dual purpose track for both MTB riding and Hiking.
This track is currently in the long term plan for the Thames MTB club to get brought up to a great single track fully rideable standard to allow MTB access all the way up to the intersection of the Karaka and Waiotahi hiking tracks. In 2022, TMBC had 3kms of the track rebuilt from the barely walkable state, to a 1.3m wide, dual use trail from the 2nd bridge up from the bottom all the way up to the Red Bluff's.
The section of trail from the Red Bluff's through to the intersection of the Karaka and Waiotahi hiking track is extremely rough and only around 40% ridable with lots of sections requiring dismounting and pushing of your bike up and over slip sections and obstacles.
