Explore public access areas in Aotearoa New Zealand's outdoors
Find publicly accessible areas, tracks, conservation land and property information.
All of our public access maps in one place. Including the Outdoors Access, Tangata Whenua, Tracks & Trails, Hunting & Fishing and Property maps.
Take our maps anywhere
Download spatial data files
Explore walking and tramping tracks and plan your next journey
A guide to help you navigate our mapping tools
He mahere tēnei hei whakamārama atu i ētahi o ngā wāhi Māori o Aotearoa mō koutou e hīkoi ana.
Information about accessing the outdoors, including how to resolve disputes
Colloquially known as paper roads, these roads can look private, but are open to public access.
Your rights of public access along rivers, lakes and the coast — including marginal strips, esplanade reserves, esplanade strips and access strips.
There are many different types of legal public access. We detail some of the main ones you are likely to encounter.
PAEs are a specific form of public access to forests.
You must get permission from the landholder to cross private land.
Information about accessing the outdoors responsibly, including roads, walkways, rivers and lakes, and private land.
We support trail groups that create public access to the outdoors, and build or maintain tracks and trails.
Herenga ā Nuku helps people find resolutions to outdoor public access disputes.
Asking permission, caring for the environment, motor vehicles, carrying a gun, mountain bikes, horses, fires and other information
Ko ēnei ngā mea tautoko mō tātou ngā tangata whenua hei kaiwhakahaere whenua.
The obligations and opportunities for landholders when they have recreational visitors on their land.
Herenga ā Nuku has regional field advisors located throughout Aotearoa. They are our public voice in the regions.
The outdoor access code encourages us to respect the whenua and the people who care for whenua.
Our latest news, recent publications, and information about who we are.
Find out about our advocacy work, projects and collaborations.
Building a legacy of public access to the outdoors for everyone in New Zealand.
Read the latest news from Herenga ā Nuku, listen to our podcasts or sign up to our regular newsletters.
We welcome your questions and suggestions.
Annual reports, corporate documents, research, submissions, research and other publications
Imagine a 500km trail from Gisborne to Ōpōtiki, following the coast and dipping inland to connect 22 communities and 64 marae.
While all these places may appear on maps to allow public access, dinosaurs, spies, killer spores, and jet bombers will keep you out.
Contact an advisor to investigate or negotiate public outdoor access.
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Many of our country’s water margins and riverbeds are open to public access. Learn about waterway access, erosion and the truth about the Queen’s Chain.
This Crown-owned land adjoins some water bodies and provides public access to and alongside the water.
These public access easements over private land move with the relevant water boundary to ensure access endures into the future.
This land vested in the local territorial authority provides public access alongside some water bodies.
The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 guarantees free public access to the foreshore and seabed for activities like walking, swimming and picnicking.
Hydro parcels represent the beds of water bodies, such as lakes, rivers and sea beds. Not all water bodies and their beds have hydro parcels.
Page last updated: 9 January 2025
