The West Coast Wilderness Trail is one of the official Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail: 132 kilometres of well-graded cycling and walking track running south from Greymouth railway station through Kumara, Hokitika, and Ross. The trail follows old gold-mining water races and disused tramways through a remarkable cross-section of West Coast landscape — beech forest, kahikatea swamp, mountain lakes, and long stretches of coast.
Most riders break the trail into three or four days using the small-town accommodation along the route. Day-rides out of Greymouth — for instance the Kawhaka Pass section above Kumara, where the trail climbs through old water-race country to a viewpoint over the Tasman Sea — are perfectly doable as half-day loops with a shuttle. Several operators in Greymouth and Hokitika rent bikes and arrange transport.