Hillary Trail: 77 km in Auckland
The Hillary Trail is a named multi-day track in Auckland. The governing figure used here is 77 km (DOC / Auckland Council · Hillary Trail), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is 3 to 4 days. Grade: Tramping track. Season window: Year-round; summer fire bans.
Named for Sir Edmund Hillary, who trained in these ranges. Kauri dieback has closed and rerouted sections — check Auckland Council before you go. Piha and Karekare are the bed towns; this is not a hut circuit.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: Arataki, Karekare, Piha, Muriwai. Cabins and holiday homes load live around each stop; hut and trailhead pins without a town page still search by radius.
Book DOC huts and Great Walks on the DOC system where that applies. Town beds are what this site lists. Carry the day’s food on remote legs — several of these routes have no shop between ends.
Stop by stop
Arataki — visitor centre start. Karekare — west-coast beach. Piha — Lion Rock, the night most people take. Muriwai — gannet colony, northern end.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow DOC / Auckland Council · Hillary Trail. Confirm opening dates, slips and hut bookings on the operator or DOC page before you travel; alpine and West Coast tracks close or reroute after weather.
