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
There are many different types of legal public access. We detail some of the main ones you are likely to encounter.
Gazetted walkways, Public Access Easements, public right of way easements, esplanade strips, access strips and more
Colloquially known as paper roads, these roads can look private, but are open to public access.
Not all reserves allow full public access but the Reserves Act tries to preserve public access.
Your rights of public access along rivers, lakes and the coast — including marginal strips, esplanade reserves, esplanade strips and access strips.
Public access is usually but not always allowed on conservation land and national parks.
You must get permission from the landholder to cross private land.
Council-held land where access is permitted at the discretion of that council.
Māori land is private and does not have public access rights. Seek permission first from the owners.
Legal agreements, like covenants, and specific legislation that relates to a certain activity or land area.
Many of our country’s water margins and riverbeds are open to public access.
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
Our National Infrastructure Plan will be stronger and more credible for supporting public access as core infrastructure.
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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The latest news from Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission.
Subscribe to our podcast series. Telling stories about people who create, care for and treasure tracks and trails in Aotearoa.
An archive of the Commission's recent email newsletters
Page last updated: 30 June 2026
