The track climbs to approximately 215 metres (705 ft) above sea level, along a narrow route formed along a steep coastal escarpment.

[3][4] At the northern end of the trail near Paekākāriki, there is an old quarry that is now the site of a lizard habitat restoration project.

[5] Early work on a track along the escarpment was started by a local environmental group Ngā Uruora - Kāpiti Project, as part of an ecological restoration initiative.

The Ngā Uruora group proposed a route for the Te Araroa trail along the escarpment, and led several exploratory trips to demonstrate the potential.

[10] In another incident in 2020, a man aged 41 collapsed, and required CPR from a bystander until emergency services could get to the site.