More than 50 people attended a meeting at the St Clair Golf Club last night to discuss the proposal, which had been presented to the Dunedin City Council.
The proposed track would be almost 2km and would wind along Dunedin's south coast from the category-one listed castle to the popular beach and eventually St Clair.
A car park with 10-20 spaces was proposed at the cul-de-sac near the castle in Highgrove.
However, many local residents opposed the idea, saying the area could not handle increased traffic flow.
There were concerns the congestion could lead to an ‘‘overspill'' of traffic, some said.
Cargill's Castle Trust chairman Steven De Graaf, who was behind the proposal, acknowledged the area could become crowded.
‘‘The best thing we can do is make sure we've got adequate parking and we have signs.
‘‘The car park is something I would imagine people would only park at for one or two hours at a time.''
Night lighting at the car park was not something which had been discussed because it was envisaged people would not be visiting the attraction after dark, Mr De Graaf said.
Residents also voiced their concerns about increased numbers visiting the area.
‘‘Let me tell you what it's like living next to the castle,'' one resident said.
‘‘Probably just about every night of the week, from midnight to 1am, people park on our property and block up our driveway, mainly teenagers.
‘‘They ignore one sign which says ‘private property' and another sign which says to keep off the castle.''
One resident said he had followed and questioned people who had jumped over fences to access the castle.
Another said she was frequently asked by people how to get to the castle and they had sometimes laughed at her when she advised them it was private property.
They were usually ‘‘boozing all hours of the night'', she said.
There were many proponents for the walk itself, however, with one resident saying it would be a fantastic asset to the city.
A Forest and Bird representative also put his weight behind the project, saying the spectacular landscape would draw many people to the city and boost the economy.
‘‘It's hard for a track to make money ... but the towns and the villages do make money.''
Mr De Graaf said the trust also proposed to stabilise the castle by installing steel framework, closing the roof and installing a walkway to the top of the castle.
That would cost $1million.
In time, the track could also be extended to St Clair via Second Beach, he said.
The Cargill's Castle Trust had been in talks with the St Clair Golf Club and other landowners about the proposal, he said.
