A benched track enters the bush beside the top carpark and begins at a steady grade. The Deadmans Track junction on the right is a few metres in from the carpark.
The track zig-zags above an active slip before crossing a deep ravine of the Mangahuia Stream via a picturesque arched wooden bridge.
A slightly steeper grade from here, the track heads up through smaller shrub species past a pretty waterfall to reach Rangiwahia Hut.