Kokoda Track Conditions

The Kokoda Track is a single file, very rough, tropical jungle path that connects villages over the Owen Stanley Range. It crosses rivers and creeks as it crosses over 13 ranges, covered in mud and thick jungle. The vegetation changes along the way and so does the track, but one thing remains constant, it is rough, narrow and requires concentration to avoid slips, trips and falls.

The video below depicts sections of the track so you have some idea of what the conditions along the track will be like. When it either rains or is considerably dryer, the track conditions will adjust.

When trekking along the Kokoda Track the conditions could be described as follows:

long and tiresome steep ascents and descents
many of the trails form switch-back patterns with sharp turns
crossing creeks, streams, rivers
narrow trails with steep drops, surrounded by jungle
walking over trails infested with tree roots
climbing over fallen tree logs
climbing under logs fallen over the track like a bridge
walking along 2 feet wide slippery dirt trails, especially in the wet
stepping up and down (like stairs) mud slopes
rock hoping (carefully) through creeks
walking through plantations, high grass, thick jungle vegetation
walking on wet sloppy mud, dry mud, stones, baked cracked hard mud

Video with examples of the track conditions whilst trekking

Alola Village about 20mins walk from this vantage point

Weather on the Track

No Roads Expeditions leads treks throughout the year from March to December each year. The weather conditions will vary between expeditions but you should plan for, and expect rain and mud at any time of the year. We don't trek in the wet season between late December and March due to the heavy rain, swollen rivers and extremely difficult conditions.

PNG has a monsoonal climate with high temperatures (day: 24 to 32, night: 18 to 2 degrees Celsius) and very high humidity (typically 80-95%). The average annual rainfall for PNG is 2,500mm to 3,500mm and when it rains it is typically very heavy with large droplets.

It is best to plan your trek to suit your needs and not concern yourself about the weather. On average each expedition will have some days and nights with rain, baking hot sun and humid conditions. This is what makes the Kokoda trekking experience an adventure!