Trails › New Zealand › Manawatū-Whanganui › Ruahine Range
Knights-Shorts Loop Track
Next nearby hike: Deerford Track to Makiekie Creek 0.0 mi · 0.0 kmExplore Ruahine Range →
Knights-Shorts Loop Track other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
Get directions · Google MapsApple Maps
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0) · OpenStreetMap · Official page · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: Sep–May · highs 11–19 °C (52–66 °F)
- J19°10°105
- F19°10°104
- M17°9°107
- A14°7°105
- M11°5°125
- J9°3°147
- J8°2°147
- A9°2°130
- S11°4°140
- O13°5°135
- N15°7°111
- D17°9°128
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
About this trail
Take a strenuous day hike and enjoy the spectacular scenery from the tops of the Ngamoko Range in the Ruahine Forest Park.
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).
Trail facts
- Length
- 8.9 km · 5.5 mi (DOC route geometry)
- Source
- NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0)
- Difficulty
- Hard (7/10) (Advanced · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0))
- Typical time (DOC)
- 8 - 10 hr
- Official page
- doc.govt.nz/link/6103cfe149d84197901370f695e
- Mountain range
- Ruahine Range (North Island Mountain Spine; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 25 km N of Dannevirke (Manawatu-Wanganui) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Ruahine Forest Park
- Connects to
- Deerford Track to Makiekie Creek, Knights Track to Pohangina Valley East Road (at its start or end)
- Best months
- Sep–May
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Manawatū-Whanganui
- Continent
- Oceania
- Route centre
- -39.9875, 176.0159
How it’s scored
Hard (7/10). Official rating: Advanced · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0).
A score is omitted when we do not have an official rating or enough measured length and elevation gain to compute one. Nothing is guessed. Read the NPS method: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/how-to-determine-hiking-difficulty.htm
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
More trails in the Ruahine Range
All 29 →Stanfield Hut to Cattle Creek Hut Track
2.5 km · 7 mi · 11 km away
Kashmir Road tramping tracks
8.1 km · 9 mi · 14 km away
Homes Ridge Track
2.6 km · 9 mi · 14 km away
A Frame Hut & Takapari Road Track
2.1 km · 9 mi · 14 km away
Smiths Stream Hut track
3.4 km · 14 mi · 22 km away
Maharahara Peak Track
3.9 km · 14 mi · 22 km away
Nearest trails
distance from the trail centreDeerford Track to Makiekie Creek
0.0 mi · 0.0 km · Ruahine Forest Park
Iron Gate Hut Track
2.5 mi · 4.0 km · Ruahine Forest Park
Knights Track to Pohangina Valley East Road
3.7 mi · 6.0 km · Ruahine Forest Park
Table Flat - Kashmir Roadend West-East crossing
4.6 mi · 7.4 km · Ruahine Forest Park
Longview Hut to Mākāretu Hut Track
4.7 mi · 7.5 km · Ruahine Forest Park
Rangiwahia Hut - Deadmans Track
6 mi · 10 km · Ruahine Forest Park
All trails in Manawatū-Whanganui → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →