Riverhead Forest

Nice forest. Do not go off track u less you have navigation skill and device!!!!!

Nice place for long walks with your pooch. Has a few entrance, you can find one you like closer to you.This is a private property by the way. Very generous people, we appreciate it.

I did the Barlow road loop as per alltrails app, great walk and peaceful forest vibes. Extremely muddy after rain, stay on gravel road if walking after a rainy day or week.

Love this place. I walk here regularly. Not far to travel to get here. And can wander through gravel roads, bush tracks etc.

Wonderful place to take a walk, hike, go horse riding, biking, take the dogs for a walk, etc. It is very beautiful and calm. Pathway is broad enough for any and all activity. Parking on the road, but do plan ahead as the parking spots that are available are limited.

Fantastic public access by the forest managers, but please remember this is an operational forest!!! Respect the place, and the people and you'll have a great time. Plenty of hills to train on for fitness, clay and metal roads, streams and bogs. Always be aware of the potential for logging trucks on the main roads. Clay tracks will be slippery in winter. Phone coverage is dodgy at best, so have a plan if you get in trouble.Managed by Rayonier Matariki Forests. Horse riding is by permit only, so that you get both a key to the gates and most importantly information on any forestry operations and other events.Public access for walking, mountain biking etc is before 6am after 6pm on weekdays, or anytime weekends. Share with care, as there will be all sorts on the trails. If you register, you will be emailed event information as there are often running, mountain biking, trail biking and 4wd events on in the weekend.There is also a firing range in the inner valley between Strip Rd, and Barlow rd - Stay Clear and heed all the warning signs!!! And the NZDF and police also run exercises in the forest sometimes (including helicopter drops), as well as all the forestry operations that include spraying and pest control (poisons).Also be aware that pig hunters enjoy the forest, if you see free roaming dogs with large radio collars you can usually ignore them, as they are being tracked by their owners, and they know their job.

Nice place, I enjoyed my walk here. I went with someone who knew the area fairly well and had a working phone so we could look at the map. I recommend going with a friend plus having a working cellphone. We did go after rain so it was a bit muddy, I’d like to go again but next time will wear more appropriate footwear :)

Beautiful forest with lots of trails and marked trees. There is not much parking so plan ahead as it can get busy. Lots of options to bike or take horses. There is one main gravel road that leads you back to parking.Additional notes... no bathrooms, very limited parking, unclear marked hikes.

Had a lot of fun. Trails get very slippery when it was wet

GPS led us to the entrance at Boundary Road, which has no information there. We need to park the car away from the entrance on the roadside. The entrance led us into the forest, with no signs or any information in all the intersections. In such a huge forest, we are hesitant to keep going forward without any instruction, and we take the same way back to the car.