Grade 1–2
Green · Beginner & Easy
Wide, smooth, mostly flat singletrack and gravel — warm-up laps and family loops. Some of the most photogenic easy riding anywhere, straight through the towering redwood stands.
e.g. Nursery Ride, The Dipper
The Trails Why riders fly across the world
Why riders fly across the world
to ride the Redwoods.
Whakarewarewa Forest — known everywhere as 'the Redwoods' — is consistently ranked among the best mountain bike destinations on earth. Redwood Summit puts you on its doorstep.
A Short History
A forest with a century of story.
In 1901, after native forests around Rotorua were being exhausted by settlement, foresters planted a trial stand of Californian redwoods — Sequoia sempervirens — alongside 170 other exotic species. The redwoods thrived in Rotorua's volcanic soil and mild climate, growing into the towering cathedral of trees that defines Whakarewarewa Forest today.
Decades later, local riders began carving singletrack between those trunks. What started as a handful of trails has grown, with the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club and local trail builders, into one of the most complete, celebrated mountain bike networks in the world.
The name "Redwood Summit" is our nod to that forest — and a promise to put our guests as close to it as a stay can get.
Grades for Every Rider
From first laps to world-cup lines.
Whakarewarewa's trails follow New Zealand's standard mountain-bike scale — Grade 1 (easiest) to Grade 6 (extreme), each signed with a matching colour. Skyline Rotorua's lift-access gravity park next door uses the international green-to-double-black system instead.
Grade 3
Blue · Intermediate
The heart of the network. Fast, loamy descents, perfectly bermed corners and natural features on narrower track that reward good line choice without demanding it.
e.g. Tokorangi, Turkish Delight
Grade 4
Black · Advanced
Steep, narrow and technical — rock, roots and off-camber sections that are hard to roll around. Long climbs to earn the descent.
e.g. Tuhoto Ariki, Billy T
Grade 5–6
Double Black · Expert & Pro
World-class gravity terrain. Steep chutes, drops, jumps and the Crankworx-tested race lines that have put Rotorua on the global MTB map.
e.g. Eagle vs Shark, Frontal Lobotomy
Why It's Special
More than just a network — a rider's pilgrimage.
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180+ km of singletrack
Purpose-built, meticulously maintained by the local trail crews and Rotorua Mountain Bike Club.
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Home of Crankworx Rotorua
Every March, the MTB world comes to the Redwoods. Ride the same trails the pros race.
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Volcanic loam
Rotorua sits on geothermal volcanic soil — the dirt is fast, grippy, forgiving, and unique in the world.
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Shuttle & uplift network
Local operators run trail shuttles and the Skyline Gondola offers lift-access downhill minutes away.
The First Stay List
Be first to stay.
Redwood Summit opens in 2027. Join the First Stay List for priority booking access, selected opening updates and an exclusive opening benefit.
Two lodges. Opening reservations will be released to the list before public booking.
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