Hiking
DOC track grades: what easy, intermediate and advanced mean
Understand DOC's six track categories and compare terrain, distance and skills before choosing a suitable New Zealand walk.
DOC track categories describe the type of walking you should expect. They are a starting point for choosing a trip, not a substitute for reading the route, weather and current alerts.
Read the categories as a progression
- Wheelchair-accessible short walk: the most accessible formed surfaces.
- Easy short walk: straightforward walking, though some sections may still be steeper.
- Easy to intermediate walking track: a generally formed route that can include uneven ground and steps.
- Intermediate tramping track: longer or more demanding walking requiring more preparation.
- Advanced tramping track: rougher terrain, potentially steep sections and unbridged water crossings.
- Expert route: experienced navigation and backcountry skills may be needed, with little track formation.
Separate difficulty from distance
A short rough route can demand more skill than a longer formed path. Check climbing, surface, exposure, river crossings and whether signs or markers are continuous. Read the stated time as well as kilometres.
Choose for everyone in the group
For a first outing, I would look for a clearly formed track with an easy turnaround and no unbridged rivers. Compare the description with something everyone has already managed comfortably. Recheck alerts before leaving: a normally easy path can still be closed or damaged, and a category does not describe today's conditions.
Read next: Planning hiking time: build in stops and a turnaround point.
Sources and photo credit
Information checked 29 September 2026.
Photo: Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia. Original photograph; Public domain. Resized for web display.
