Tucker Beach Trail
An easy 4.4 km gravel trail on a terrace above the Shotover River, from the Old Lower Shotover Bridge to Tucker Beach and the gorge trail.
Published 15 September 2026 · Last checked 18 September 2026 · By Queenstown Pocket
Key facts
Open, with cautions. On 18 September 2026 the Trust lists no closure on the Tucker Beach Trail, but a network-wide heavy-rain warning covers mud, flooding, scour and washouts, and the Lower Shotover Conservation Area trail on the other side of the river is flooded. Checked 18 September 2026 on Queenstown Trails Trust, Tucker Beach Trail page and alert bar (opens in a new tab).
- Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes walking, 30 minutes by bike, one way
- Distance
- 4.4 km one way
- Track type
- One way
- Grade
- Grade 2, easy
- Surface
- Smooth gravel, generally over 2 m wide, with a short boardwalk and a section shared with Tucker Beach Road
- Winter
- Good in winter
- Starts at
- Old Lower Shotover Bridge, western (Rotary) car park off Tucker Beach Road
- Bus
- Route 3 at Quail Rise, near Portree Drive, about 100 m from the start
- Dogs
- Dogs on a lead through the Tucker Beach Wildlife Management Reserve
- Bikes
- Shared with bikes
- Children
- Grade 2 and described by the Trust as a family trail; watch children where it runs high above the river
- Cost
- Free
In short: The Tucker Beach Trail runs 4.4 km one way along the Shotover River from the Old Lower Shotover Bridge to the Tucker Beach Recreation Reserve: 1 hour 10 minutes walking or 30 minutes by bike. It is Grade 2 (easy), smooth gravel with gentle climbs, and joins the Shotover Gorge Trail at Tucker Beach.
What the track is like
Coronet Peak, the Remarkables and the Shotover River from a high terrace; the Tucker Beach Wildlife Management Reserve, home to black-billed gulls, banded dotterels and black-fronted terns; and 700 m past the end, the Kimi-ākau suspension bridge over the mouth of the Shotover gorge.
The trail, built by the Rotary Club of Queenstown and opened in 2018, leaves the Rotary car park at the western end of the Old Lower Shotover Bridge. About 100 m in is a short, narrow boardwalk that can have a step at each end. It then climbs gently over the Arrow irrigation pipeline and follows a high terrace on the true right of the Shotover, with the old bridge and the Remarkables behind you.
Beyond the terrace it skirts bluffs and drops towards the Tucker Beach Wildlife Management Reserve, where Coronet Peak comes into view across the river flats. The reserve is under ecological restoration, so stay on the trail and keep dogs on a lead. The trail undulates, rising highest above the river near the bridge end, with steep drops beside it in places.
The last section shares Tucker Beach Road, a quiet road where you keep left and follow the road rules, before descending to the Tucker Beach Recreation Reserve and the start of the Shotover Gorge Trail. From the Tucker Beach car park it is 700 m on that trail to the Kimi-ākau Bridge; the Trust gives 2.5 hours return on foot, or 1 to 1.5 hours by bike, from the Old Lower Shotover Bridge to the bridge and back.
How to get to the start
Drive to the Old Lower Shotover Bridge and use the western car park off Tucker Beach Road; a small gravel car park on the river side of Tucker Beach Road, 500 m further on, also gives access. At the other end there is a car park at the end of Tucker Beach Road. The trail links to the Twin Rivers and Countryside trails at the old bridge.
Orbus Route 3 stops at Quail Rise, near Portree Drive, about 100 m in a straight line from the bridge car park, and Routes 3 and 5 stop at Tucker Beach Road about 520 m away; fares are $2.50 with a Bee Card. There is no Orbus stop within walking distance of Tucker Beach, so walk back or arrange transport through the Trust's operators. Every urban Orbus bus has a bike rack that carries bikes free, subject to space, taking wheels larger than 16 inches and e-bikes up to 25 kg (ORC).
- Start: Old Lower Shotover Bridge, western (Rotary) car park off Tucker Beach Road (directions (opens in a new tab)).
- Parking: Rotary car park at the western end of the Old Lower Shotover Bridge; a small gravel car park 500 m further along Tucker Beach Road also gives access
- Finish: Tucker Beach Recreation Reserve car park, end of Tucker Beach Road.
- Parking: Car park at the end of Tucker Beach Road
- By bus: Orbus Route 3 stops at Quail Rise, near Portree Drive, about 100 m in a straight line from the Old Lower Shotover Bridge car park, and Routes 3 and 5 stop at Tucker Beach Road about 520 m away, but there is no Orbus stop within walking distance of the Tucker Beach end. Routes and fares are in the bus guide.
Is it open, and what is it like in winter?
Open, with cautions on 18 September 2026. On 18 September 2026 the Trust lists no closure on the Tucker Beach Trail, but a network-wide heavy-rain warning covers mud, flooding, scour and washouts, and the Lower Shotover Conservation Area trail on the other side of the river is flooded. Check Queenstown Trails Trust, Tucker Beach Trail page and alert bar (opens in a new tab) on the day; conditions change quickly.
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Spring (September to November) | DOC asks for all dogs on a lead through the nesting season, August to February, when rare ground-nesting birds use the Tucker Beach Wildlife Management Reserve. The Trust gives September to November temperatures of 8 to 17°C. |
| Summer (December to February) | December to March runs from the mid-teens to the late 20s by the Trust's figures, so take water, sunscreen and a hat. Nesting season runs to the end of February, so dogs stay on a lead. |
| Autumn (March to May) | April and May run 8 to 16°C. Nesting season is over, but the Trust still asks for dogs on a leash through the wildlife reserve to protect its plantings and birds. |
| Winter (June to August) | June to August runs from -2 to 10°C; carry warm and waterproof layers, as the Trust advises. The trail is wide, smooth and graded easy, which makes it a sound short winter outing, but check the alerts after heavy rain. |
What to know before you go
- Check the Trust's alerts before you go: on 18 September 2026 a network-wide heavy-rain warning covers mud, flooding, scour and washouts.
- Where the trail runs high above the river there are steep drops beside it; watch children closely.
- Keep dogs on a lead through the wildlife reserve. DOC asks for this during the August to February nesting season, and the Trust asks for a leash in the reserve.
- Keep left and follow the road rules on the shared section of Tucker Beach Road.
- Take water and sun protection in summer, and warm and waterproof layers in winter.
For emergencies call 111. The Queenstown safety guide covers the rest before a long or winter walk.
Questions people ask
How long is the Tucker Beach Trail?
4.4 km one way by the Queenstown Trails Trust's figure, from the Old Lower Shotover Bridge to Tucker Beach. Allow 1 hour 10 minutes walking or 30 minutes by bike each way.
Is the Tucker Beach Trail easy?
Yes. It is Grade 2 (easy): wide, smooth gravel with gentle climbs, a short boardwalk near the bridge and a shared section of Tucker Beach Road.
Where does the Tucker Beach Trail start?
At the Rotary car park at the western end of the Old Lower Shotover Bridge, off Tucker Beach Road. A small gravel car park 500 m further along Tucker Beach Road also gives access.
Can I take my dog on the Tucker Beach Trail?
Yes, on a lead. The trail crosses the Tucker Beach Wildlife Management Reserve, where DOC asks for dogs on a lead during the August to February nesting season and the Trust asks for a leash in the reserve.
Is there a bus to the Tucker Beach Trail?
At the bridge end, yes: Route 3 stops at Quail Rise, near Portree Drive, about 100 m away, and Routes 3 and 5 at Tucker Beach Road about 520 m away. There is no stop within walking distance of Tucker Beach.
Is the Tucker Beach Trail OK for kids?
It is a Grade 2 trail the Trust describes as suited to the whole family, but it runs high above the river in places with steep drops beside it, so watch children closely.
How do I get to the Kimi-ākau Bridge from the Tucker Beach Trail?
Carry on from the Tucker Beach car park along the Shotover Gorge Trail for 700 m. From the Old Lower Shotover Bridge the Trust gives 2.5 hours return on foot or 1 to 1.5 hours by bike.
Nearby walks
- Shotover Gorge Trail
5.5 km one way (Arthurs Point to Tucker Beach) · 2 hours walking, 1 to 1.5 hours by bike, one way · Grade 3, with short Grade 4 sections at the Hugo Tunnel
- Countryside Trail
12.8 km one way · 2.5 to 4 hours walking, 1.5 to 3 hours by bike, one way · Grade 3, intermediate
- Twin Rivers Trail
18.5 km one way · 4 to 5 hours walking, 2 to 3 hours by bike, one way · Grade 3, intermediate
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Related guides
- The Queenstown Trail, section by section
Ten sections, over 150 km, with the Trails Trust's distances, grades and times, and the $2.50 bus back from each end.
- Queenstown bus routes & fares
All six Orbus routes, the $2.50 airport bus, Bee Card vs cash fares and the ferry.
- Queenstown safety: the numbers, the hills, the roads and the lake
111 and 105, the Land Safety Code, chains, the 10-degree lake, and why ACC is not travel insurance.
Sources: Queenstown Trails Trust, Tucker Beach Trail (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Trails Trust, trail alerts (site-wide alert bar) (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Trails Trust, Shotover Gorge Trail (Kimi-ākau Bridge access) (opens in a new tab), DOC, Whakatipu basin day walks and bike trails brochure (March 2025) (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Trails Trust, 2018: A Year in Review (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Trails Trust, FAQs (dogs, seasons, coverage) (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Trails Trust, understanding trail grades (opens in a new tab) and Otago Regional Council, what you can take on the bus (bike racks) (opens in a new tab), retrieved 18 September 2026. Distances, times and grades are the managing body's published figures; fit walkers are often quicker. Department of Conservation information is used under CC BY 4.0. Start coordinates: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). This independent guide is published by Tally Sphere Limited, a New Zealand company. Spotted a change? Report a problem with this page and the page address comes with your email.
All walks: Queenstown walks and tracks.