Last updated October 2026
Blocks of weathered schist stand like ruined towers along the crest of the Rock and Pillar Range, the long ridge that rises behind Middlemarch in the Strath Taieri. The Department of Conservation manages land on the range as the Rock and Pillar Conservation Area.
Tramping routes climb to the tops from road ends off State Highway 87 and from Old Dunstan Road, crossing tussock and alpine fellfield where, DOC warns, winter conditions can arrive at any time of year.
The area lies about 56 to 60 km from Dunedin in a straight line, and DOC’s brochure covers tramping routes, a ridge road for mountain bikers and 4WD users, and hunting by permit.
Practical Information
- Location
- Rock and Pillar Range, Strath Taieri; access from several points off State Highway 87 near Middlemarch, from Old Dunstan Road and from Hamilton Diggings Road
- Distance from the city
- About 56 to 60 km from Dunedin in a straight line; Middlemarch is the nearest town
- Walking times
- From 45 minutes (Glencreag Track) to 2 hours 15 minutes (Rockvale Track) to the conservation area boundary; 4–6 hours, 15 km, from the Rockvale boundary to the Rock and Pillar Ridge Road junction along the Rock and Pillar Range North Track
- Dogs
- Allowed in the conservation area, but not on adjoining private land or on access tracks across private property
- Huts
- Big Hut (16 bunks) is owned and maintained by the Rock and Pillar Hut Trust, not DOC
- Rules
- No fires; no unauthorised drones; hunting by permit
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Rock and Pillar Conservation Area page
About Rock and Pillar Conservation Area
DOC explains that the range was folded up over roughly the last 3 million years by deep local faulting. As the softer rock around them eroded, harder blocks of schist were left standing as tors, the “rocky pillars” that give the range its name.
Repeated freezing and thawing on the crest has pushed the soil into wave-like ridges and created fellfield, where the frost pushes plants out of the ground. In a north-west wind, a lens-shaped cloud known as the “Taieri Pet” forms over the range.
Above about 900 m, blue tussock, the daisy Celmisia viscosa, low herbs, cushion plants and hebe shrubland are the plants most often seen, and DOC says high-altitude flowering peaks from mid-January to mid-February.
The endemic Celmisia haastii var. tomentosa grows on the upper slopes, snow tussock mixes with shrubs lower down, and a small stand of tōtara at the northern end survives from older forest.
Much of the wildlife is small. The flightless chafer beetle Prodontria montis is found only in the range’s alpine cushionfields, and DOC’s brochure also mentions the mountain stone wētā, which grows up to 65 mm long and is unique to Otago.
Stoneflies and caddisflies live in the tarns and bogs, skinks bask on the schist, and South Island pied oystercatchers, banded dotterels, harriers and New Zealand falcons are seen in the area.
History of the Range
The traditional Māori name for the range is Patearoa. DOC says taoka typical of Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe and Kāi Tahu have been found here, showing a long connection with the area, and the Strath Taieri was a mahika kai area for gathering and hunting food.
Silcrete from the district was split into large knives, tī kōuka was cooked and eaten, and harakeke and tī kōuka leaves were woven into sandals for rough country.
European pastoralists arrived in the mid-1800s, followed by gold prospectors. Construction of the Central Otago railway began in 1879, and its corridor is now the Otago Central Rail Trail.
Tracks and Access Points
DOC’s brochure for the conservation area lists ten access routes, most of them unformed tramping tracks that need backcountry skills. In brief:
- Eastern side off State Highway 87: the Rockvale, Last Creek, Glencreag, March Creek and Brookdale tracks start from the highway or nearby rural roads, reaching the boundary in about 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. The Glencreag Track climbs about 1,000 m to Big Hut, and DOC advises against it in winter without alpine equipment and experience.
- Kinvara Road: from Kilmory Station, about 3 hours (10 km) to the summit on foot. The road crosses a deer farm, and DOC asks visitors to use another route from mid-November to mid-December, when hinds with newborn fawns can be dangerous.
- Stonehurst Track: from Gladbrook Road or from Old Dunstan Road beside the Loganburn reservoir. Entry from Gladbrook Road is closed for lambing from 1 September to 31 October each year.
- Rock and Pillar Ridge Road: a 4WD road from Old Dunstan Road past McPhees Rock to Summit Rock, which the brochure suggests as a day trip for mountain bikers and 4WD users. Old Dunstan Road is open to vehicles from 1 October to 31 May.
- Western Rock and Pillar: steep, rolling tussockland reached from Hamilton Diggings Road south of Waipiata, with views of the Maniototo Plain. There is no public access between this block and the main conservation area.
The same brochure also covers Sutton Salt Lake Scenic Reserve, near Sutton with the range behind it.
Weather, Avalanches and Planning
The tops are very exposed, and DOC’s brochure warns that winter conditions can arrive at any time of year. DOC rates the northern end and the tops as simple avalanche terrain and the eastern faces as challenging, so anyone going up in winter or spring should be avalanche aware and check the New Zealand Avalanche Advisory first.
Mobile coverage is unreliable, and DOC recommends carrying a personal locator beacon or other emergency communications. Carry NZTopo50 maps (CC16 Kyeburn, CD15 Paerau and CD16 Middlemarch), use Plan My Walk and tell someone your plans.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Rock and Pillar Conservation Area: conservation area information, access and avalanche terrain. Track information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Department of Conservation: Tracks in the Rock and Pillar Conservation Area (PDF): the brochure with every access route, times, seasonal rules, hut details and a map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Rock and Pillar Conservation Area?
On the Rock and Pillar Range above Middlemarch in the Strath Taieri, about 56 to 60 km from Dunedin in a straight line. Access is from State Highway 87, Old Dunstan Road and Hamilton Diggings Road.
What are the rock pillars?
Schist tors: blocks of harder rock left standing on the ridges after the rock around them eroded.
Are there huts on the range?
Big Hut, with 16 bunks, is owned and maintained by the Rock and Pillar Hut Trust rather than DOC. DOC’s brochure has the trust’s booking details.
Can I take my dog?
Dogs are allowed in the conservation area, but not on neighbouring private land or on access tracks that cross private property.
Can I hunt in the Rock and Pillar Range?
Yes, with a DOC hunting permit. The Western Rock and Pillar block needs a restricted permit from the Alexandra DOC office.
Is there avalanche risk?
DOC rates the eastern faces as challenging avalanche terrain. If you go in winter or spring, check the New Zealand Avalanche Advisory and be prepared for snow.
When do the plants flower?
DOC says high-altitude flowering peaks from mid-January to mid-February.
Can I light a fire or fly a drone?
No. Fires are not permitted, and unauthorised drones are prohibited.
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