Little River Trail: 49 km in Canterbury
The Little River Trail is a named Ngā Haerenga Great Ride in Canterbury. The governing figure used here is 49 km (nzcycletrail.com · Little River Trail), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is 1 day. Grade: Grade 1–2 · easy. Season window: Year-round.
Prebbleton to Little River on the rail formation, with a city connection via the Quarryman’s Trail. Little River is the café finish. Combine with the Crater Rim walks on the peninsula if you stay the night.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: Christchurch, Prebbleton, Motukarara, Little River. 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
Christchurch — city start. Prebbleton — where the rail trail proper begins. Motukarara — lake edge, halfway. Little River — peninsula terminus.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow nzcycletrail.com · Little River 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.
