The Old Ghost Road: West Coast Backcountry Mountain Bike Guide

Overview

The Old Ghost Road revives an abandoned 1870s–80s gold miners' road between the ghost town of Lyell, in the Buller Gorge, and Seddonville on the northern West Coast. The original builders gave up; more than a century later, a local crew finished the job. The six sections cover about 85 km of mostly purpose-built singletrack through remote valleys, earthquake debris, alpine tops, tarns, rivers and waterfalls.

It's Grade 4 (advanced) throughout, with a few Grade 5 sections, so it's for fit, experienced riders only. Allow 2–4 days, and ride south to north (Lyell → Seddonville), which is strongly recommended because of the gradients. Staying in its huts is a big part of the experience.

Highlights

• Remote, untouched backcountry, with native birds and unusual plants
• Top-of-the-world views across the Lyell Range
• The Boneyard, a huge field of quake-shattered rock
• Rusty gold-mining relics and the broken anvil where the old road-builders gave up
• Huts in spectacular spots, such as Ghost Lake and Specimen Point

Trail sections

• The first climb is 765 m up the old dray road to Lyell Saddle Hut (875 m), past two big earthquake slips.
• The high point (1,280 m) is on the flank of Mt Montgomery.
• Below Ghost Lake Hut is a 4 km jumble of rock gardens and tight turns to the Skyline Ridge.
• The last leg follows the Mokihinui Gorge past the Suicide Slips to the Rough & Tumble Bush Lodge.

Huts and booking

• Lyell Saddle, Ghost Lake, Stern Valley and Specimen Point huts have mattresses, a log burner, water, toilets, gas hobs, fuel and cookware, so you don't need to carry cooking gear. Each also has two four-person summer sleepouts and a two-person tent site.
• Goat Creek and Mokihinui Forks are older huts that can't be booked (first come, first served).
• Book everything in advance on The Old Ghost Road website. Places fill quickly in the October–April peak.

Day rides (in and out)

From October to April, the Rough & Tumble Bush Lodge is usually open from 11am to 4pm for pizza and beer.

Need to know

• Bike: A high-quality mountain bike, plus tools and mechanical skills. E-MTBs must be rugged, all-mountain bikes. The trail exceeds most battery capacities, there's no charging, and you'll need to lift and push.
• Safety: No mobile coverage, apart from patches between Lyell and Ghost Lake. Carry a personal locator beacon, which you can hire in Westport. Snow is possible on the tops even in summer. Watch the official safety video before you go.
• Food: Bring more than you need. Westport is the place to stock up. Water is available at the huts and streams.
• Dogs and horses: Not allowed.

Getting there

Westport is the hub. Both trailheads are about 45 minutes' drive from it, so 1.5 hours apart. Shuttles, vehicle relocation and bike hire are available. There's a DOC campsite at Lyell, and the Rough & Tumble Lodge and Seddonville campground at the north end.