It is one of several cycleways developed as part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail and passes through some of the last remaining podocarp forests of rimu, tōtara, miro, mataī and kahikatea, as well as some exotic forestry and regenerating bush.

The trail begins in Pikiariki Ecological Area, about 200 metres (660 ft) from the DOC Pureora Field Base on Barryville Rd, turning left a few metres into the bush, on a boardwalk, then winding some 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) through tall podocarps (frequented by kākā),[4] over Whareana Stream, through a Douglas fir plantation, across Whareana Road and Cabbage Tree Rd before winding up through an area of regenerating toitoi, cabbage tree, five finger and kamahi.

[4] 8–23 km — Mt Pureora to Angel's Rest grade 3 (intermediate) The trail winds to 940 metres (3,080 ft),[4] within a 40-minute walk of the 1,165-metre (3,822 ft) Mt Pureora summit, through various stages of regenerating bush to the existing native bush edge to the top of the Ongarue River and an old logging road.

[2] 52–64 km — Maramataha River – Deer Park junction – Waione Stream South of the bridge the steepest climb on the trail zigzags to a plateau on a new track.

[6] The Ongarue Spiral took the tramway up 43 metres (141 ft) on a grade the bush lokeys could cope with (for 6 kilometres or 3.7 miles the gradient averaged 1 in 30).

12 staff had been trained in 12 months in basic woodwork, track construction, quad bike and 4WD driving and health and safety.

DoC employed five from the MED scheme for six months to build 6 to 10 metres (20 to 33 ft) bridges, shelters, other structures, and some track construction.

[7] Negotiations were held to build a 30-metre (98 ft) suspension bridge over Mangakahu Stream to end the trail further east on Mangakahu Rd, but the trail as built has another 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of undulating ride keeping north of the stream, roughly following the tramway (see map below) to within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of Ongarue.

[7] On 1 December 2012 southern section opening day 150 cyclists rode its four suspension bridges, the tramline, and Ongarue Spiral.

[13] After the opening improvements and maintenance continued; in winter 2013 additional pumice was helicoptered to boggy patches on the Mt Pureora section.

Their timber sawmill at Ongarue was fed with logs (especially rimu) by a gradually growing network of tramways from 1903 until floods damaged the lines in 1958.