Redwoods Rotorua: Quarry Lookout Walk and the Blue Lake Loop

The Redwoods in Rotorua is an impressive, free forest of giant Californian redwoods right on the edge of town, and one of the most family-friendly places we found in New Zealand: great for small kids, and even better if you add the Treewalk through the canopy. We walked the Quarry Lookout loop late in the afternoon of our fourth day, straight after a lap of Blue Lake, and that pairing makes an easy half-day if you’re based in Rotorua. Both walks are below, with our tracks.

Before you go: check the official Redwoods long walks page for the Quarry Lookout track, and the DOC Blue Lake Track page and Rotorua Lakes Council’s Blue Lake page for current conditions, and read recent trail reports on AllTrails for the Redwood Quarry Loop Track and the Blue Lake Track.

The Redwoods Rotorua: Quarry Lookout loop

All the walks in Whakarewarewa Forest start from the Redwoods visitor centre, and they’re colour-coded, so you just pick a colour and follow the arrows. We chose the green one, the Quarry Lookout loop, because it’s long enough to feel like a proper walk without eating the whole afternoon.

The first stretch is flat and wide and runs through the tallest redwoods, which is the part everyone comes for. After that the track turns uphill through younger native bush, and most of the climbing is on formed steps. A few of them have eroded into big, uneven steps, so watch your footing, especially on the way down.

The lookout sits on the rock wall above an old quarry. Honestly, it was a bit of a letdown for us: the view over the forest towards the city and Lake Rotorua wasn’t much to speak of. The descent drops into the old quarry floor, now a grassy clearing, and then the track loops back through the forest to the car park. As a result, the redwoods themselves are the reason to do this walk, not the view.

Our rating for the Redwoods is 7/10. The trees are genuinely impressive, the wide, flat tracks near the start are great for small kids, and with the Treewalk added it makes a really good family outing.

The Treewalk (our 2019 visit)

On our first trip in 2019 we did the Redwoods Treewalk, a run of suspension bridges and platforms strung between the trunks. It’s a different way to see the same trees, from halfway up instead of from the ground, and the lanterns hanging in the canopy are lit up for the Nightlights version after dark.

Looking down is half the fun: the forest floor is full of tree ferns, and from the higher platforms you can see right down to the visitor area below.

The daytime Treewalk takes 30 to 40 minutes. Prices in October 2026 are NZ$45 for adults and NZ$28 for kids aged 5 to 15, and since 1 September 2026 Nightlights tickets need a booked date and entry time. Check the Redwoods Treewalk website before you go, because prices change.

Our Redwoods track

Before the Redwoods: the Blue Lake loop

Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu) is about 10 minutes’ drive from the Redwoods along Tarawera Road, and a track runs all the way round it. We’d already rafted and zorbed that morning, so this was meant to be the easy part of the day, and mostly it was: a dirt track through the bush, never far from the water, with one short climb on the south side.

However, the lake was high when we went. The low route along the edge was under water in places, so at one point we had to scramble up the bank to get back onto the track, and for the last quarter of the loop we gave up on the flooded track and walked along the road instead. If you do the same, take care: DOC warns that the roadside section has no barrier from traffic.

We didn’t take a single photo; it was just a walk. But it’s a good one, and we rate it 8/10: an easy afternoon loop to get out of the city and get some fresh air, with the lake beside you most of the way.

What we’d do differently

• Do both in one afternoon. They’re about 10 minutes apart: Blue Lake for the fresh air, the Redwoods for the big trees.
• Don’t go for the lookout view. If the redwoods are what you’re after, the shorter red (Redwood Memorial Grove) or blue (Waitawa) walks keep you among them with less climbing.
• Walk Blue Lake clockwise from the north-east end, as DOC recommends, and check the lake level after rain. We went anticlockwise, the opposite way.
• Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. Both tracks are dirt, and Blue Lake has roots and ruts.

The bite: Atticus Finch

That evening we had dinner at Atticus Finch in central Rotorua, a tapas place. We worried that sharing small plates between four hungry people wouldn’t work, but it did: everyone ordered one small dish, we added a bigger one to share, and it was plenty. It’s a little pricey, and the desserts were the only weak spot. Book ahead at busy times, because it fills up.

Redwoods Rotorua FAQ

Is the Redwoods in Rotorua free?

Yes. Entry to Whakarewarewa Forest and all the walking tracks is free. Only the Redwoods Treewalk, Nightlights and the Altitude course are paid.

How long is the Quarry Lookout walk?

It’s 4.8 km (3 miles). The official estimate is 1.5 hours; it took us 55 minutes without dawdling. You can cut it to about an hour by returning on Quarry Road.

Can you walk all the way around Blue Lake?

Yes. The Blue Lake Track is a 5.5 km (3.4 mile) loop. DOC suggests about 1.5 hours and recommends going clockwise from the north-east end. Part of it runs beside the road, and the lakeside sections can flood when the water is high.

Can you do both walks in one afternoon?

Easily. We started Blue Lake at about 2:45pm and were finished at the Redwoods before 5pm, with the drive in between.

The rest of our Rotorua days, including the rafting and Hells Gate, are in our 10-day North Island itinerary. Next stop on the trip was Taupō, where we walked to Huka Falls from Spa Park.