Te Araroa: Richmond Alpine Track
Mount Richmond Forest Park · Marlborough · Point to Point
The permit requirement shown here is DOC’s own published rule for this land. The DOC office and signs on the day have the final say. DOC’s own wording: “Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. (DOC, Richmond Ranges Te Araroa route, fetched 28 August 2026.)”. Evidence: a hand-checked correction against the authority. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. Apply to the managing DOC office ahead of time; do not turn up with the dog first. Steward run 28 Aug 2026, raised by Kellie and Jack. The page carried "Dogs allowed" inferred from licensed walk data only. DOC's own page for this route says "Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit.", so the route is permit only, not open access. The same page grades it an Expert route, which is why the Hard grade also moved to Expert.
About Te Araroa: Richmond Alpine Track
Te Araroa: Richmond Alpine Track is a point-to-point of 97.0 km, near Mount Richmond Forest Park in Marlborough.
DOC grades this an Expert route and an Advanced tramping track, eight days end to end, and says you need advanced backcountry tramping skills and supplies for at least ten days. It calls the Richmond Ranges one of the most challenging parts of Te Araroa: little or no formed track in many places, steep rugged terrain, unbridged river crossings and an alpine climate with heavy rain and freezing temperatures. Dogs need a DOC permit for the whole route, arranged with the closest DOC office before you go.
Expect expert going, with around 4,618 m of climb, pitching up to 36 % at its steepest, and takes about 24 hr+ to walk.
Along the way there are native forest, river frontage, and big views. A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. Arrange it with the managing DOC office ahead of your trip.