Each week, we highlight our fave tramping trails in New Zealand for day and multi day hikes across Nelson Tasman (and beyond!)
Just a quick jaunt from Nelson, this half-day climb packs a punch and rewards with epic views. Mt Duppa stands at 1,143m and sits in Mt Richmond Forest Park—it’s named after George Duppa, an early settler to Nelson.
Distance: 3.9km one-way
Elevation: +789m -15m
Head to the Whangamoa Valley and look for the Mt Duppa DOC sign on the side of the road, which you follow until reaching the carpark and trailhead at the end. 4WD is recommended but it is accessible with 2WD. If you want a longer walk or run, park up on State Highway 6 at the bottom of the access road and go from there.
The track is short (~5 km return) but steep—expect about 700m of elevation. Clocking in at around 3 hours return, it zig-zags through lush beech forest with ferns, moss, and kamahi before letting you loose among limestone-ish boulders and scree. Look out for orange markers—they can be easy to miss!
The summit is more of a ridge crowned with rocky features (marked by a pole and cairn). Views across the Bryant and Richmond Ranges are stunning, and on clear days you’ll even spot Cable Bay and the Marlborough Sounds.
There’s a bit of history here too—two plane crashes occurred up here; one in 1956, another in 2011.
When you are ready, head back the way you came!
