Starting from the Southern Alps near Mt Cook Village, it leads you on a journey through the South Island’s spectacular scenery to the historic coastal town of Ōamaru.
The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is divided into nine sections, allowing you to plan and divide your adventure up to suit your individual needs.
Each section has been graded to indicate the fitness and experience required.
The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is just one of the NZCT 23 Great Rides and all of the Great Rides are graded according to standardised criteria. All sections of this Trail have been designated either Grade 2 (Easy) or Grade 3 (Intermediate).
To help with your assessment of different sections of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail the NZCT definitions are as follows.
Grade 2 (Easy)
- Suitable for most riders including beginners, occasional cyclists, and families with limited cycling experience. A multi-geared bike with medium to wide knobbly tyres is recommended, such as a comfort bike, touring bike, or mountain bike. E-bikes are also suitable as long as they are ridden appropriately and have sufficient battery capacity.
- Off-road trails are usually wide and smooth (firm gravel or sealed), with some gentle climbs. These trails are predictable. On-road sections of Great Rides generally follow quiet roads with little traffic.
Grade 3 (Intermediate)
- Suitable for regular experienced cyclists with a good level of fitness and over 12 years old; children should be accompanied by an adult.
- A mountain bike is recommended for off-road sections. E-mountain bikes are suitable provided they are ridden appropriately, have sufficient battery capacity, and the rider is capable of completing the trail in the event of a battery/power failure.
- For on-road trails/sections on gravel roads, bikes with knobbly tyres are recommended. Road racing tyres are generally not suitable.
- Off-road trails can be narrow and may include hills, steep drop-offs, and small river crossings. Trail surfaces are mainly firm but may include muddy or loose sections, and obstacles such as rocks or tree roots.
- On-road trails/sections may have moderate traffic levels (up to 1000 vehicles a day) and include hill climbs and gravel sections.
Full trail map
Zoom in on the map above to check out more trail details like the location of toilets, potable water locations or flood routes. Alternatively click on the map box in the top right hand corner to open the map in a new window.
