Distance: 7.0 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 48m to 363m. Gain: 149m. Loss: 446m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

An easy walk or good cycle ride from Summit station to Cross Creek station, and on to the roadend.

From Summit the track passes through Summit tunnel - over 600m long and very dark - a torch is recommended. Beyond the 'incline' starts, with a steady descent far steeper than the ascent on the Hutt Valley side. Easy walking,m and easy riding - downhill!

On reaching Cross Creek station, the track leaves the railtrail. A further 2km follows on a narrower, benched track beside Cross Creek to the carpark at the roadend.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

An easy walk or good cycle ride from Cross Creek roadend to Summit station. Note that this side of the railtrail is far steeper than the Hutt Side and as such most people make the trip in the Hutt to Wairarapa direction.

From the carpark at Cross Creek, it is 2km along a bencled track beside Cross Creek to the former station and the start of the railtrail proper. The climb is constant from here to Summit, the track sidling the valleyside and winding in and out of various side-creeks. One small stream is clossed - the bridge long gone, but should be fine in most conditions. There are a couple of short tunnels, then the long Summit tunnel - over 600m long and very dark - a torch is recommended.

From there you emerge blinking into the sunshine (hopefully) at the former Summit station site - now a campground and picnic area with toilets and stream water.