About 54km of additions to it have been planned since 2016, trail champion Lynley Twyman said. They are the Te Ara Mangawhero Project, and work on the first could begin this summer.
"We are quite excited about Te Ara Mangawhero. We're hoping that work will start in the next month or so," Robinson said.
The first work could be an 11km extension that will turn the Old Coach Rd into a loop trail. It will use parts of the former Bennet and Punch tramway and link with the Mangawhero Campground.
Or work could begin on a 21km link between Horopito and National Park village, using former parts of State Highway 4. In time that could be linked with the Pōkākā Eco Sanctuary that Uenuku plan to build nearby, Twyman said.
Ruapehu tribes Ngāti Rangi and Uenuku are working with Ruapehu District Council on the additions, and Ngāti Rangi's Ruapehu Worx track maintenance business could build the tracks.
The project has more than $6 million in funding, from New Zealand Cycle Trails and the Provincial Growth Fund, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) supports it.
The longest addition, 22km from the Turoa ski area down to Ohakune, is likely to happen later, Twyman said. It converts the former Blyth tramping track into a grade 2 cycling and walking trail, and improves safety by keeping cyclists and walkers off the Ohakune Mountain Rd.
It still needs resource consent, and more consultation to ensure it respects cultural and environmental values.
