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Roxburgh Gorge Trail Update

The 12km "Gap" is on Track for Completion in Early 2027

Roxburgh Gorge Trail
Geoff Marks

News & Events Roxburgh Gorge Trail - Gap on Track for early 2027 completion

The contribution of up to $1 million is a significant boost for the project and provides certainty that construction can continue at pace towards completion in the first quarter of 2027.

Landowner approvals for the route were secured in April 2025, allowing work to begin on preparing access into the remote gorge environment.

The first stage involved constructing access roads from the highway ridge down to the lake edge across two private properties. With those now completed, construction crews have been able to move machinery into the gorge and begin trail formation work.

Supported by early funding from Central Lakes Trust and Otago Community Trust, contractors began work over winter and have already completed approximately six kilometres of trail benching along the gorge face, stretching from Gorge Creek past the historic Mrs Herron’s Cottage.

Now that major earthworks on the Kawarau Gorge Trail are complete, digger operators have returned to the Roxburgh Gorge project to continue shaping the trail and installing culverts.

Southern Lakes Trails says the momentum on the project is exciting and marks another major step toward creating a connected trail network through Central Otago.

“The support from landowners, community trusts and Government has been instrumental in moving this project forward,” said Janeen Wood, Chief Executive of Southern Lakes Trails.

“Closing the Roxburgh Gorge Trail gap has been a long-held vision and it’s fantastic to now see real progress happening on the ground.”

Once completed, the project will connect the Roxburgh Gorge Trail into one continuous experience and bring the wider regional vision even closer to reality.

“The dream of being able to ride from Queenstown Airport to Dunedin Airport will truly become possible,” said Wood. “We can’t wait to see people experience it.”

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