Cannon Point Walkway

{{Short description|Hiking trail in New Zealand}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox hiking trail

| name = Cannon Point Walkway

| photo = Cannnon Point walkway scenes - MC 09.jpg

| caption = Hutt Valley from Cannon Point trig

| location = Akatarawa Forest, New Zealand

| designation =

| length_km = 7.7

| trailheads = Bridge Road, Birchville, Tulsa Reserve, Tōtara Park

| use = Nature walk

| elev_gain_and_loss =

| elev_change_m =304

| highest_m = 341

| lowest_m = 65

| difficulty = Moderate

| season = Year round

| months =

| sights =

| hazards =

| maintainer = Greater Wellington Regional Council

}}

The Cannon Point Walkway is a hiking trail in the Akatarawa Forest on the western side of the Hutt Valley in the North Island of New Zealand. The walkway is a loop of {{convert|7.7|km}} in length, ascending to the Cannon Point trig at {{convert|341|m}}, and with a total elevation gain of {{convert|304|m}}.{{Cite web |title=Cannon Point Walkway |url=https://www.wellingtonregionaltrails.com/trails/cannon-point-walkway/ |access-date=2023-01-11 |publisher=Wellington Regional Trails |language=en-NZ |archive-date=11 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111080805/https://www.wellingtonregionaltrails.com/trails/cannon-point-walkway/ |url-status=live }} The portion of the track through the Akatarawa Forest Park is maintained by the Greater Wellington Regional Council.{{Cite web |title=Akatarawa Forest |url=https://www.gw.govt.nz/parks/akatarawa-forest/ |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Greater Wellington Regional Council |language=en-US |archive-date=11 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111080811/https://www.gw.govt.nz/parks/akatarawa-forest/ |url-status=live }}

The name of the hill and the walkway comes from the reports of a large tree that fell near the top of the hill. The fallen tree was said to look like a cannon when viewed from below. The area was part of Valley View Station, and the steep zig-zag track to the summit was originally cut by the farm owners for access on foot and horseback.{{Cite web |date=30 December 1998 |title=Cannon Point walk offers valley views |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/314990710 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-01-11 |website= |publisher=The Dominion |id={{ProQuest|314990710}} |language=en |via=ProQuest}}

The road ends are at Bridge Road, Birchville and Tulsa Reserve in Tōtara Park. The route from Bridge Road follows the path of a former water supply pipeline upstream along Clarke's Creek to the historic Birchville Dam. From the dam there is a steep ascent to the ridgeline and then along to the Cannon Point trig at {{convert |341|m}} elevation. From the trig there are panoramic views of the Hutt Valley. The loop is completed by a walk along the banks of the Hutt River between the two road ends.{{Cite web |title=Akatarawa Forest |url=https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/2021/11/Akatarawa_compressed.pdf |publisher=Greater Wellington Regional Council |access-date=11 January 2023 |archive-date=16 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220916005459/https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/2021/11/Akatarawa_compressed.pdf |url-status=live }}

On Sunday 9 October 1932, a "mystery" railway excursion to Upper Hutt attracted 800 people, many of whom took the opportunity to complete a hike of around {{convert|10|mi}} from the Akatarawa picnic grounds to the lookout at Cannon Point.{{Cite web |date=10 October 1932 |title=Mystery trampers |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19321010.2.112 |access-date=2023-01-11 |website= |publisher=The Dominion |via=Papers Past}}

A {{convert|1.7|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} zig-zag portion of the track from Tulsa Park up to the Cannon Point trig crosses private land, and was closed by the landowner in December 2017 after a dispute between the landowner and the Upper Hutt City Council.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Colin |date=2017-12-14 |title=Cannon Point zig zag a public no go |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/99818035/cannon-point-zig-zag-a-public-no-go |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=11 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111080810/https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/99818035/cannon-point-zig-zag-a-public-no-go |url-status=live }} Access was restored in August 2018.{{Cite web |last=Tso |first=Matthew |date=2018-08-07 |title=Cannon Point walkway reopened after stand-off over popular track ends |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/105979587/cannon-point-walkway-reopened-after-standoff-over-popular-track-ends |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=24 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824040209/https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/105979587/cannon-point-walkway-reopened-after-standoff-over-popular-track-ends |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=31 July 2018 |title=Upper Hutt's Cannon Point walkway open to the public |url=https://www.gw.govt.nz/your-region/news/upper-hutt-s-cannon-point-walkway-open-to-the-public/ |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Greater Wellington Regional Council |language=en-US}}

A new bridge at the Birchville end of the track was opened in October 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-28 |title=New swingbridge connecting Akatarawa Forest Park and Birchville Dam & Cannon Point Trig opened Labour Weekend. |url=https://uhconnection.co.nz/general-news/new-swingbridge-connecting-akatarawa-forest-park-and-birchville-dam-cannon-point-trig-opened-labour-weekend/ |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=The Upper Hutt Connection |language=en}}

File:Cannon Point Trig.jpg