28/08/2026: ARAPUNI DAM CLOSURE – IMPORTANT TRAIL UPDATE

From 9am Tuesday, 1 September 2026, Arapuni Road across Arapuni Dam will close for approximately 24–36 months while repair and enhancement works are carried out by Mercury.

This closure will affect trail users travelling between Arapuni and Waipapa Dam.

🚫 The Powerhouse Road detour is for vehicles only – trail users cannot walk or cycle along this detour.

This means trail users travelling between Arapuni and Waipapa Dam will need vehicle support to travel around the closure.

If you are planning to ride or walk this section of the Waikato River Trails, please plan ahead and make arrangements for transport around the closure before starting your journey.

We will have signage in place at trail entry points to help ensure trail users are aware of the closure.

A new section of trail has been constructed by Mercury to allow trail users travelling between the Arapuni Swingbridge and Jones Landing to access around the worksite. This route is well signposted and is open from 1 September.

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12/08/2026:  The Arapuni section of trail from Waipapa Dam to the Mangarewa Bridge is still CLOSED due to significant slips and pieces of trail missing throughout this section and will remain closed until further notice.

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The five Waikato River Trails

The Waikato River Trails are divided into five sections across a range of terrain from gently undulating trails to some that are steeper, rugged and more adventurous. The trails are are graded from 3 (Intermediate) to 4 (Advanced) and while they are mostly wide and smooth, some are trickier single-track trails (particularly on the Waipapa section) – a mountain bike is recommended.