Pre-establishment

Before European settlement, local Māori had established several routes between Wairarapa and Wellington through the Kaikohe area. Whakataka Pā is believed to have established at Te Mārua before 1820. A European road was opened in 1856.^[4]

Many of the forests were cleared by early European settlers to provide timber, farm supplies, water and transport routes. Some areas of untouched forest were purchased by local authorities in 1939 for water supplies.^[4] Further adjacent land was purchased after World War II, on 20 November 1951, to form Hutt Water Collection Area.^[5]

Following the war, the area became a site for picnicking and swimming. In 1976 the Wellington Regional Planning Authority identified the area as a potential regional park because of its native forests and recreational options.^[4]

Post-establishment

The park officially opened in 1983.^[4] The Wellington Botanical Society and local Upper Hutt branch of Forest and Bird have been involved in protecting and restoring the park.^[3]

The park was the filming location for exterior shots of Rivendell for the 2001 movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.^[6]

Two people were injured in a plane crash in the regional park in 2016,^[7] and one person died in another plane crash in 2020.^[8] Toxic algae has remained an ongoing issue in the regional park, with outbreaks in November 2017 and February 2019.^[9][10]

In August 2021, a wheelchair-accessible suspension bridge was opened across Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River.^[11] During the same month, major restoration work began to make the park a carbon sink for the Wellington Region.^[12][13]