Ōpārara Arch
Kahurangi National Park
- 45 min return by the same track
- Easy
Short walk to a limestone arch in the Ōpārara Basin.
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Walking time
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45 min |
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Distance
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1.6km |
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Type
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Return by the same track
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Grade
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Easy |
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Bookings
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No bookings — open access
No — open access
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Starts
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Mirror Tarn car park, McCallums Mill Road, Ōpārara |
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Ends
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Ōpārara Arch |
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Maps
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NZTopo50-BP22
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Altitude
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193m
–
206m
Altitude change 13m
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This short walk follows the Ōpārara River to a massive arch.
Drive north out of Karamea toward Kōhaihai and turn onto McCallums Mill Road. This long and winding shingle road climbs through forest before dropping into the Ōpārara Basin, with car park, lunch shelter, toilets, and friendly weka. The Mirror Tarn car park is a minute or two further down the road. From here, the track is marked.
As you follow the track, the imposing limestone cliff comes into view. After 29 minutes, the track leads into the arch, climbing high on one side to provide a lookout over the extensive vault.
This is the biggest of the three Ōpārara arches, with length 219m, height 43m, and width 79m.