Parking
Pigeon Saddle on Tōtaranui Road, at the Inland Track crossing. A roadside layby and DOC sign mark the access; parking capacity and fees are not published.
Overview
About Pigeon Saddle to Awapoto Hut
Why go
- An inland hut destination in a park known for its beaches
- A midpoint outcrop with a view across Wainui Bay
Heads up
- The advanced, steep terrain makes this a full-day return walk
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Abel Tasman map
Full mapElevation312–673 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Abel Tasman Tour Guide
Your drive to Pigeon Saddle to Awapoto Hut, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Abel Tasman National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Pigeon Saddle and Awapoto Hut0:00 / 0:23
“You're approaching Pigeon Saddle, the roadside start for the walk to Awapoto Hut. This is a steep, rough forest tramp, with five kilometres and about three hours each way.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Abel Tasman Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Fur Seal's Night Shift
- Reading a Palm's Past
- The Coughs in the Birdsong
- Protection Beneath the Water
- 23 audio storiesacross Abel Tasman’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, New Zealand Fur Seal, Little Penguin, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 43 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Pigeon Saddle to Awapoto Hut
A demanding inland outingPigeon Saddle to Awapoto Hut follows 5 km of the Inland Track each way, returning on the same…
Pigeon Saddle to Awapoto Hut follows 5 km of the Inland Track each way, returning on the same route for about 10 km (6.2 miles). DOC allows three hours one way, so plan roughly six hours of walking before long stops. It is a steep, advanced tramp through forest to a 12-bunk hut, with a bay view along the way. Choose it when you want an inland hut walk away from the park’s beaches; this is a full-day commitment even if you turn around at the hut.
The climb and the viewThe track climbs and undulates through bush.
The track climbs and undulates through bush. Near the midpoint, a rocky outcrop opens to a view across Wainui Bay; after it, the path dips and climbs again over rough ground before the short hut access. DOC grades the Inland Track advanced. Descriptions differ on how well defined or overgrown the tread feels, so allow time for careful footing. The outcrop is the best photo stop: keep some of its rock in the foreground with the bay beyond.
At Awapoto HutThe clearing around the hut opens toward the bay above Awaroa Inlet.
The clearing around the hut opens toward the bay above Awaroa Inlet. Awapoto is a standard hut with 12 bunks, mattresses, heating and a non-flush toilet. Its water is untreated and must be boiled. The hut is first come, with no bookings, and fees apply; take your own food and check DOC’s current hut-ticket rules if staying overnight.
Start, supplies and rulesStart at Pigeon Saddle, where the Inland Track crosses Tōtaranui Road.
Start at Pigeon Saddle, where the Inland Track crosses Tōtaranui Road. A roadside layby, DOC sign and intentions book are described at the access; parking capacity is not published. Carry water for the walk. Pets and domestic animals are not allowed in the national park; assistance-animal exceptions follow DOC rules.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Abel Tasman
10 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
54 sightingsNew Zealand Fur SealMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
20 sightingsLittle PenguinMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
21 sightingsSouth Island KākāMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
526 sightingsWekaMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
16 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Abel Tasman. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
