Leith Hill Loop Track
Castle Hill Village · Canterbury · Loop
This walk was suggested by the community and checked against the authority quoted above before it was published. The route line comes from official track data. DOC’s own wording: “Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules. (DOC, Leith Hill Loop Track page.) Dog access in Craigieburn is set track by track, not park wide: Avoca Valley is no dogs, the ski field operational areas exclude dogs in winter, and Kura Tāwhiti down the highway does not allow dogs at all”. Evidence: the rule-setter’s own published wording. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
Dogs are allowed here. Watch for ground-nesting birds and stock, and read the signs at the gate.
About Leith Hill Loop Track
Leith Hill Loop Track covers 6.0 km, near Castle Hill Village in Canterbury, walked as a loop.
A 5 km loop out of Castle Hill Village that climbs to 1014 m for a wide view over the Castle Hill basin and the peaks around it. DOC grades it an advanced tramping track and allows about 2 hours. Start at the Thomas Bush car park, roughly 200 m past the last village houses on Castle Hill Drive, then walk 300 m along Castle Hill Drive and 220 m along Trelissick Loop Rd to the Thomas River Track. The track drops into the Thomas River and crosses it unbridged, and 300 m later you reach the loop junction. Right is the normal ascent, following a terrace above the river through beech forest before climbing steeply to the tree line and sidling around to the high point. Left is the easier return, which drops fast on steep ground and crosses two more unbridged creeks. Our mapped line measures 6.2 km because it includes the village road walk at both ends; DOC's 5 km is the track alone. Dogs are allowed, and DOC asks that you keep your dog under control at all times rather than on a lead. Two things are worth knowing before you go. The lower half shares tread with the Castle Hill village bike trails, so a dog that recalls in close is worth more here than one that ranges. And dog access in Craigieburn is set track by track, not park wide. Avoca Valley Track in the same park reads No dogs, and DOC keeps dogs out of the ski field operational areas in winter while the fields are open, because they get in the way of avalanche rescue dogs. Kura Tāwhiti (Castle Hill), the rock tors 2 km down the highway that most people stop at on the same day, does not allow dogs at all. The Thomas River rises fast in rain and neither crossing is bridged, so turn back if it is running high or discoloured. There is a bridge on the St Andrews College road, reached half way along the Thomas River Track, and 300 m of walking from there back to the Thomas Bush car park. This is alpine country, so carry warm layers and check the forecast before you leave. Wasps are thick from January to March. Kea live in this range and are fully protected, so do not feed them.
Graded moderate, it climbs about 350 m overall, and takes about 1 hr 47 to walk.
Dogs are welcome here. This walk is on the map because Lisa & Ruby suggested it, and we checked it against the source above.
