Parking
Use the Greyneys Shelter picnic-area car park on SH73. The loop begins at the eastern end of the area and returns to the same access.
Overview
About Old Coach Road
Why go
- The old coach-road bench and rock wall give the forest walk a story.
- Small streams, cascades and bridges add variety to a short outing.
Heads up
- Part of the return runs near SH73, so traffic is audible.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arthur's Pass map
Full mapElevation684–766 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Arthur's Pass alerts
- CautionFlood damage and active slip on Harper Pass RouteFlood damage and an active slip make the western Harper Pass Route hazardous; expect difficult river crossings and avoid the slip during rain.Official details
- CautionFlood damage on route to Sudden Valley BivvySignificant flood damage has washed away much of the route to Sudden Valley Bivvy; access is possible only when rivers are low.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arthur's Pass Tour Guide
Your drive to Old Coach Road, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Arthur's Pass National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Greyneys Shelter and Old Coach Road0:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing Greyneys Shelter, where I'd stop for a gentle half-hour walk with a little road history. The Old Coach Road loop is just over a kilometre, through forest on part of the original coach route.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Arthur's Pass Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Klondyke Corner Campsite
- Spotting a Young Kea
- The Knowledge Behind Arthur’s Pass
- O'Malleys Track to Turkey Flat
- 42 audio storiesacross Arthur's Pass’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, New Zealand Falcon, Blue Duck, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 49 trails, 59 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Old Coach Road
A short loop with a storyOld Coach Road is an easy 1.1 km (0.7 mile) loop from Greyneys Shelter, taking about 30 minutes.
Old Coach Road is an easy 1.1 km (0.7 mile) loop from Greyneys Shelter, taking about 30 minutes. It follows a surviving section of the old coach route through forest, then returns to the same picnic area on a newer track. It is a good short stop for a little history and stream scenery rather than a long hike or a big viewpoint. Small loop choices at the northern end change the track slightly; a full GPS trace can read closer to 1.25 km, so treat 1.1 km as the standard figure rather than an exact measurement.
Read the road in the hillsideThe old road sits on a bench cut into the slope above the Bealey River floodplain.
The old road sits on a bench cut into the slope above the Bealey River floodplain. Coaches used this higher line to avoid the flood-prone riverbed, and short sections of rock walling remain. Look at the width and shape of the bench as you walk: the engineering is the main attraction. This is a fragment of the old Christchurch-to-Greymouth coach route, not a long route between those towns.
Streams, crossings and the returnSmall cascades cross the path, and short timber bridges span streams.
Small cascades cross the path, and short timber bridges span streams. Near the northern end, a rope handrail offers a chance to slow down and notice the forest by touch. The circuit returns on a newer path, with an open stretch near SH73 where traffic is audible. Watch for damp or uneven footing around the streams.
Start at GreyneysPark at the Greyneys Shelter picnic area on SH73; the walk starts at the eastern end and…
Park at the Greyneys Shelter picnic area on SH73; the walk starts at the eastern end and returns to the same access. Bring your own food and water; none is documented on the walk. Arthur's Pass weather can change quickly, so carry a warm layer and rain protection. Dogs are not allowed on this track.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Arthur's Pass
984 sightingsKeaMost seen around noonSighting map
39 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
190 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
20 sightingsKākāMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsWekaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
15 sightingsParadise ShelduckMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Arthur's Pass. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
