Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua

The forest, on film

Rotorua has around 180km of singletrack in a redwood forest, a gravity park on a gondola, and a week of Crankworx every autumn. Here is what it actually looks like, filmed by the people who ride it.

Skyline Rotorua Mountain Bike Gravity ParkSkyline Rotorua Watch on YouTube

The reel

Fourteen films

Trail guides, POV runs and race weekends. Each one plays from YouTube when you press it.

A Beginner Mountain Biker's Guide to the Whakarewarewa Forest Loop - Rotorua Grade 2/EasyNew Zealand Mountain Biking On YouTube ↗
BEST MTB Trails in Rotorua - The Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest (Flow/Jumps/Tech)Mark Twomey On YouTube ↗
MUST RIDE TRAILS IN THE REDWOODS - Rotorua MTB! Whakarewarewa Forest NZ.Taylor Vernall On YouTube ↗
Corners | Classic Rotorua Flow Trail | Redwoods MTBNew Zealand Mountain Biking On YouTube ↗
BEST ENDURO TRAILS I'VE RIDDEN! | Rotorua Redwoods POVLuis Gerstner On YouTube ↗
Billy T trail ● Redwoods Forest, Rotorua [Ep#26]The Average MTB Guy On YouTube ↗
Koroua - Mountain Biking in the Whakarewarewa Redwoods Forest Rotorua - May 2024Aaron Markie On YouTube ↗
Most Famous Trail at Rotorua Skyline Bike Park - MR BLACK Go Pro | Jordan BoostmasterJordan Boostmaster On YouTube ↗
2017 Crankworx Rotorua Highlights - Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle in Memory of McGazzaCrankworx On YouTube ↗
Crankworx Rotorua Redwoods DH 2018 - FULL HighlightsPinkbike On YouTube ↗
REPLAY Slopestyle - Crankworx World Tour Rotorua 2025Red Bull Bike On YouTube ↗
Highlights: Crankworx Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza Rotorua 2026Crankworx On YouTube ↗

The place

Why everyone ends up here

Whakarewarewa Forest sits on the edge of town and is free to ride. The trails are graded like ski runs, from wide gravel through to jump lines, and the loam holds together in the wet in a way most places do not.

The forest is on the whenua of Ngati Whakaue and the trails are maintained by the Rotorua Trails Trust. Skyline Rotorua runs a separate gravity park up the hill with gondola uplift, which is a paid ticket. Crankworx has run here since 2015.

On the ground

Before you go

Whakarewarewa Forest Free

Free to ride, open daily, car park off Long Mile Road

Skyline Rotorua Gravity Park Paid

Gondola uplift, separate ticket, bike hire on site

Grading 1-6

Graded 1 to 6, the same scale as the rest of New Zealand

Best months Year round

Rideable year round; the loam is at its best after rain

Crankworx Autumn

Held in Rotorua each autumn since 2015

Questions

Asked a lot

Do I need to pay to ride the Redwoods?No. Whakarewarewa Forest is free. The Skyline gravity park up the hill is a separate paid ticket.
Is it any good for a beginner?Yes. There are graded 1 and 2 trails from the main car park, and the beginner guide above is worth ten minutes.
Whose films are these?Everyone's but ours. Each one is credited to the channel that made it and plays from YouTube.

These films are not ours. Every one belongs to the person who made it, and the titles and channel names here are exactly as published on YouTube. Nothing is hosted on this page — each one plays from YouTube, and only once you press it.