- Location: Chattertons Road (main entrance)
- Primary use: Horse riding and carriage driving
- Area: ~350 hectares of pine forest
- Trails: ~10 km marked riding trail
- Facilities: Horse float parking, toilets, picnic area
- Key rule: Horses have right of way
West Melton Forest
West Melton Forest is a regional park designed primarily for horse riding, with a network of sandy trails suited to riders of all abilities.
Originally planted for flood protection, the pine forest now provides a unique riding environment, along with space for walking, running and cycling (on forestry roads).
West Melton Forest park overview
Location and access
West Melton Forest is part of the Waimakariri River Regional Park, located between Chattertons and Weedons Ross Roads.
North of the car park is the Kōwhai Savannah — a native grassland area with indigenous trees and shrubs, offering a glimpse of the Canterbury Plains before European settlement and supporting rare mosses and lichens.
The main entrance is off Chattertons Road. Get directions on Google Maps
Opening hours
- October to March: 7am to 10pm
- April to September: 7am to 7pm
View the full park map
Park facilities
At the park you’ll find:
- Float parking oval - A well-designed park for horse floats. Just drive in, pull over next to the central oval and drive on when you've finished. No backing needed
- Car park for several cars, separate from horse float park
- Picnic tables with hitching posts for horses
- Public toilets
Activities and tracks
- Horse riding - A 10km marked trail, suitable for all abilities. Large sandy areas and forestry roads allow riders to explore further.
While most of the trail is sandy, there are stony sections where some horses may require shoes.
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Horse carriage driving - Roads within the forest are suitable for carriages. The entrance will fit 1.8m-wide carriages. If you have a wider carriage, contact us to ask about key system.
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Walking/running/cycling - There are no formal tracks but walkers, runners, and cyclists are welcome. Horses have the right of way.
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Picnics - Several tables are available around the main parking oval. Hitching rails are for horses.
History
The pine trees of West Melton Forest were originally planted as flood protection, giving the stop banks a first line of defence against flooding.
Development of the forest as a park was undertaken due to increasing demand for safe horse riding facilities in the Selwyn District.