Explore Clyde on trips of different scales: from the Clyde Greenway within the township to a section of the Lake Dunstan Trail and the multi-day Otago Central Rail Trail. There is also a former railway station, a historically significant church building and an annual wine and food festival. You can weigh up cycling routes, local history and a regular event when planning your stay.
Cycle Trails in and Around Clyde
The Otago Central Rail Trail follows the former Otago Central Branch Railway for 150 km, from Middlemarch to Clyde; allow three to four days for the route. It is designed for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. This makes it the multi-day option among the trails mentioned here. Traces of the former railway line are also visible in the details: since the railway closed in 1990, more than 60 bridges have been fitted with new decking and handrails. The gravel ballast of the former railway line was replaced with gravel.
The Clyde section of the Lake Dunstan Trail offers a shorter route: it is 3.5 km long, rated Grade 1, and runs from the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club to the Clyde Heritage Precinct. The Lake Dunstan Trail also connects Clyde and Cromwell. Its challenging cycling route is 55 km long and rated Grade 2–3; the trail runs alongside Lake Dunstan. The defined local section and the longer cycling route therefore suit different trip lengths.
The Clyde Greenway runs practically from one end of Clyde Township to the other. It was once part of the Central Otago railway branch line and is a route for walking or cycling to and from Clyde’s historic centre. Another trail associated with Clyde is the Alexandra to Clyde River Track: this combined walking and cycling trail for the whole family follows the right bank of the Clutha Mata-au River between Alexandra and Clyde.
Railway and History in Town
The former Clyde Railway Station is at the northern end of the Clyde Greenway. Built in 1907, it was restored in 2014. Together with the Greenway’s former railway setting, it brings Clyde’s railway history to life in two different ways: through a route within the township and through a restored building.
St Dunstan’s Church (Catholic) also has particular historical significance. Designed by a prominent New Zealand architect, it documents the history of the Catholic Church in Clyde. The church is private and not open to the public. For views of the town and its wider surroundings, take a drive to Clyde Lookout.
Wine and Regional Alternatives
The Clyde Wine and Food Harvest Festival is held every year on Easter Sunday in the historic main street. It celebrates wines from the world’s southernmost wine regions. If you want to plan your stay around the festival, check the date of Easter Sunday in your travel year against your stay dates.
The wider Central Otago District destination offers other distinct landscape and walking experiences. The Bannockburn Sluicings are a scarred landscape shaped by a short-lived gold-mining era, which can be explored on various routes on foot or by bicycle. The Roxburgh Gorge Trail offers a different kind of trip: it follows the Clutha Mata-au River past eroded rock walls and old gold-mining sites. The one-day trip combines 21 km of cycling with a 13 km boat journey and is rated Grade 2–3.
When choosing where to stay in Clyde, the local history, wine and food festival, and differences between the trails can help you decide: from the Greenway and the 3.5 km section to the multi-day railway trail. The additional examples from the wider Central Otago District destination offer a distinct regional perspective.
Discover more destinations: Omakau, Coal Creek Flat, Chatto Creek, Kyeburn Diggings, Lindis Valley, Roxburgh, Waipiata, Alexandra
For the wider travel overview: Central Otago District.
